Mental Health Stigma

Even though mental health conditions are the leading cause of disability in the United States, stigma can cause individuals to feel ashamed about something that is not in their control and prevent them from seeking needed help. According to the American Psychiatric Association, stigma increases symptoms, lowers self-esteem and an individual’s likelihood of maintaining his or her treatment plan, and reduces hope. There are many ways to combat stigma. One is by challenging common misconceptions about mental health. For instance, there is only a one percent difference in employment rates for young adults aged 18 to 25 between those with and without serious mental illnesses. Despite this fact, individuals with mental health conditions often are viewed as being dangerous, incompetent or untrustworthy. A study published in 2016 in Global Mental Health found that discrimination in employment, healthcare, housing and more can be linked to mental health stigma.

To combat stigma, remind others that language matters, negative terms should be avoided, and mental illnesses should never be used as adjectives (for example, “being OCD” is not an appropriate description for an extremely neat, organized and/or tidy person). Words like “schizo” and “psycho” are abbreviations for specific mental health diagnoses. Rather than labeling people with their mental illness (i.e., saying they are depressed), state that they were diagnosed with the condition. Focus on the fact that it is a disease and no one would ridicule individuals with cancer or diabetes. Contact the media (such as the producers of television shows) and complain when you see negative characters, comments or storylines about mental illness.

Conversation can help to end stigma. If someone talks to you about their mental health, helpful responses include: “Can I drive you to an appointment?”, “How are you feeling today?”, “I cannot imagine what you are going through.”, “I’m sorry to hear that. It must be hard.”, “Is there anything I can do?”, and “Thank you for opening up to me.” or “Thank you for sharing.” If you have a mental health condition, seek treatment when necessary and be honest about it. Choose to have an empowered life by owning your story and refusing to let others dictate how you feel about or view yourself. Consider saying that you see a mental health professional. (People mention appointments with their primary physicians without fear of judgment. This should apply to mental health care providers as well.) Talk openly with your family and friends and consider doing so when using social media to educate others.

Mental illnesses exist on a spectrum. Just because an individual is “higher functioning”, it does not mean that his or her diagnosis is not real. Likewise, mental health conditions are not temperaments. People can be naturally optimistic and still have anxiety or depression, etc. The best way to combat stigma is to educate yourself about mental health, promote the reality that physical and mental illnesses are equal, and positively interact with those who experience mental health issues by showing compassion and empathy. #StigmaFree