The Stigma of Mental Illness

The stigma surrounding mental illness is pervasive in American society, despite the knowledge we have gained through extensive research regarding the causes and effective treatments of brain disorders.  While most people would not dream of mocking someone with cancer or diabetes, mental health disorders remain fair game for ridicule.  reason is the term itself; to many the “mental” suggests that the illness is not a legitimate medical condition, but  a problem people bring upon themselves by their choices and actions – a condition that is “all in your head.”  In reality, the causes of mental illness are complex – a mix of genetics, biology and life experiences.  Studies have shown physical changes in the brains of individuals with mental disorders  and have also shown a genetic link in families afflicted with some brain disorders.

The media has done much to create a distorted view.  The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) reports that 70 percent of television characters with a mental health issue are portrayed as being violent.  Statistics do not support an unusual connection between mental illness and violence.  The same percentage of people without a mental illness commit violent crimes as do people with a mental illness.       What is stigma and what are its effects?  Stigma, by definition, is a mark of disgrace or shame and has four components:  1.  Labeling someone with a condition,   2. Stereotyping those who have that condition,  3.  Creating a division of a superior “us” group and a devalued “them” group, resulting in a loss of status in the community, and 4.  Discriminating against someone on the basis of their label.       The stigma of mental illness can be as bad as or worse than the illness itself.  Although one in five Americans experiences a mental disorder in any given year, only half seek treatment.  Affected individuals often try to hide the problem, fearing rejection by others, loss of employment or housing, and subjection to harassment.    The cost of treatment is also a deterrent and insurance policies are often discriminatory.   Until December of 2006, many Ohioans’ insurance policies offered little or no coverage for mental health treatment.  In the last days of his term in office, Governor Taft signed into law a bill that requires health insurers in Ohio to offer the same coverage for mental illnesses as for other illnesses.  Despite his concern about the potential cost to businesses, he stated that in terms of the cost of untreated mental illness (estimated by the Surgeon General to be over $3.5 billion annually in Ohio) and the success of treatment (ranging from 60 – 90 percent) he believed the benefits greatly outweighed the costs.      The federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers these six steps that all citizens can follow to help end the stigma which surrounds mental illness: 1.  Learn more.  Many organizations sponsor nationwide educational programs about mental health and mental illness. Two excellent Web sites are SAMHSA’s National Mental Health Information Center (http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov) and Washington County’s Behavioral Health Web site (www.washington.oh.networkofcare.org), which includes an extensive library of mental health information and local resource directory for treatment and services. 2.  Insist on accountable media. Media portrayals of people with a mental illness are often distorted, inaccurate and harmful.  3.  Obey the laws in the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).  The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including housing, employment and public transportation.  Mental illnesses are considered a disability covered under ADA. 4.  Recognize and appreciate the contributions to society made by people who have mental illness.  Many well known people with mental illness have enriched our lives,  including Abraham Lincoln, Vincent Van Gogh, Winston Churchill, Patty Duke, Earl Campbell, Barbra Streisand and Beethoven. 5.  Treat people with the dignity and respect we all deserve.  People who have mental illnesses may include your friends, your neighbors and your family. 6.  Think about the person – the contents behind the label.  Avoid labeling people by their diagnosis.  Instead of saying, “She’s a schizophrenic,” say, “She has schizophrenia,” or “She has a mental illness.”  The diagnosis is only one part of who a person is; recognize the many components of the person, not just the disorder.      In his Report on Mental Illness, Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher noted, “Overall approaches to stigma reduction involve programs of advocacy, public education, and contact with persons with mental illnesses through schools and other societal institutions.  Fewer than half of affected individuals receive the right kind of treatment.  Those who fail to get good care are held back by enduring stigma and financial strains.  Mental illness is as real as heart disease;  patients can benefit from new therapies and medications and can recover.  New drugs and therapies have vastly improved the outlook for the five million people with the most severe mental disorders.  People should expect to do better than they’ve ever done in the past.”          The Washington County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Board wishes you a happy and fulfilling holiday season.