Assignment 1: LASA # 2: PowerPoint Presentation

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Running head: THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS

2

Running head: THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS

The Stigma of Mental Illness

The Stigma of Mental Illness

The importance of stigma and the lack of mental support has suffered throughout history. Ask yourself, if people with mental issues and the lack of support should change and be accepted into all social norms? Or should they continue to not be supported over something they have no control over? Stigma has been well-defined as undesirable opinions, observations and relations which can cause discrimination according to the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, (2014). Mental illness is a syndrome that affects your mood, thought process, actions and present distress in social functions and occupational involvements.

As a result of mental distress, intimidation, brutality and alienation has been known to take place because people feel you may be unstable or dangerous, which is due to the distancing that is the place between each other, in addition to rejection and abandonment their reactions may become negative and sometimes violent in the nature of harming themselves or committing suicide all because of the lack of understanding of what mental illness is and how it affects the individual.

Mental illness stigmatization can also result in a poor understanding amongst family members and as an end result making them feel they are not able to seek treatment, or cure and cause the individual to seek other options when they feel they have no one that can help them understand what’s going on with themselves. These other options include marijuana, alcohol, prescription drugs and cigarettes can be a great start for those people scared to seek help with mental health issues Aviram, R. B., Brodsky, B. S. (2006).

This is where peer support is needed, it is so important for mental health patients to realize they have a sense of belonging and that they are not alone when dealing with their mental health issues. According to the SAMHSA.gov, peer support is one of the strategies that can help you to improve the state of mental health in America. Access to peer support is an effective way of enhancing the quality of life when always understand peer support as any form of assistance that comes from people who share characteristics or experiences relating to things that are in common. For instance, for patients with mental health issues, peer support includes: knowledge, emotional and social assistance that one may get from a person who has the same experiences.

Additionally, mental illness stigmatization can result in insufficient health insurance coverage of mental ailments by organizations. This can include being turned down for job opportunities or recognitions due to their illness. People with emotional disabilities tend to have issues with prejuice when seeking jobs or explaining the lapse’s in their resume because of the bouts with their mental health. They also experience stigma when going back to work, having their peers mistreat them with harassment, mockery, even demotion (Parle S, 2012).

Although mental illnesses are frequently stigmatized, they are to some extent normal and can be controlled in most instances. Psychologists have come up with an improved understanding of mental disorders, but at the same time, the cure and maintenance continue to change from time to time. An investigation paper concerning the mental ailments is a better matter to look at without considering what class learners are pursuing.

Thus, according to me, this is a matter of concern since eliminating the stigma and communal isolation of individuals with mental ailments. It would have to be an open health priority so as to increase global mental health and minimize the financial liability.

Stigmatized persons are alleged to possess some traits which result in unattractive social recognition. Every year, about 11% on people who have mental disorders look for help, and stigma has been viewed as the primary cause why victims do not pursue help (Corrigan, P.W. (2004). Stigma has an undesirable effect on mentally ailing victims and is an obstacle to pursuing the treatment, and therefore minimizing the stigma that revolves around mental sickness is a vital communal health initiative. Thus, this study targets how to review the study of the effect and influence of mental health on help-seeking in the overall population”. The top barriers for students include: being embarrassed, rejection, and possibly being labeled as insane or unhinged.

These have been labeled as help seeking behaviors which reduces social articulation with their own psychological well-being (Corrigan, P.W., 2004). Eisenberg et al. (2011), the population of college students have further need of attributes and weaknesses include barriers such as: dealing with mental issues by themselves and the mistrust of providers. Thoughts of complaints with time restraints were caused by the lack participation and treatment. Questions as to whether treatment is effective when solving problems. Believing that stress and anxiety is normal and will get better over time. Some students also complained to the lack of financial funding it cost to seek treatment, so they don’t participate. They have complained about the lack of their GPA dropping and dropping out of school.

Mowbray et al. (2006), college students worry about what others would think about participation, the staff being unfriendly wait times of services may be to long and discouraging and the students may have a lack of confidentiality of the staff.

Some research revealed advantages to mental illness awareness: lower stigma-related attitudes than their equals. (Corrigan et al., 2001). They would have the support and knowledge needed around them when struggling with emotional disorders. I have found that when dealing with people that already have mental illnesses, it is less likely for them to have a negative influence towards those people. “These positive attitudes may be influenced by contact, individual experiences with people and positive attitudes toward mental health patients (Read & Law, 1999).” The following analyzation pursues whether the stigma causes a barrier to healing, amongst college students.

Table 2.

College students' perceived benefits and barriers to help-seeking for mental health problems.

 

n

%

Which of the following do you feel is a benefit of individuals seeking help for mental health problems?

Improved mental health

610

89.4

Reduced stress

591

86.7

Resolving one's problems

575

84.3

Self-awareness/personal growth

564

82.7

Happiness

555

81.4

Improved life satisfaction

546

80.1

Increased relationships

533

78.2

More optimistic attitude

532

78.0

Increased self-confidence

530

77.7

Increased communication

490

72.0

Increased comfort sharing feelings with others

485

71.1

Increased social support

458

67.2

Improved sleep

422

61.9

Increased energy

416

61.0

Which of the following do you feel is a barrier for individuals seeking help for mental health problems?

Embarrassment

619

90.8

Denial that there is a problem

595

87.2

Not wanting to be labeled as “crazy”

496

72.7

Not knowing where to go for help

483

70.8

Not feeling comfortable sharing feelings with another person

478

70.1

Not wanting to talk to a counselor about personal issues

462

67.7

Wanting to handle problems on one's own

457

67.0

Cost

423

62.0

Fear of counselors

381

55.9

Not wanting to be admitted to a hospital

377

55.3

Lack of social support

330

48.4

Not wanting to be placed on medication

324

47.5

Not wanting help

321

47.1

Lack of insurance

274

40.2

Note: n = 698; Percent refers to valid percent; and missing values are excluded.

3.2. Results indicated that the top three perceived benefits were improved mental health, reduced stress, and resolving one's problems (Table 2). The lowest perceived benefits were increased energy, improved sleep, and increased social support.

Having one on one experience seems to be appropriate, group meetings, increasing the awareness of mental health, mental issues, and education to college students may be a great way of reducing the stigma. All of the articles relate to one another because research and studies show the value of how effective exposure and education against stigma can change the minds and attitudes of people. Documentation from finding articles related to the impertinence of decreasing barriers toward beliefs, help-seeking, non-adaptive and adaptive behaviors of students entering college by making them aware of counseling services available to them, social transitions, and by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

Table 5.

Students' perceived stigma based on perceived benefits and barriers.

Stigma-related attitudes

Number of perceived benefits

Number of perceived barriers

M (SD)

F

P

M (SD)

F

p

I feel that individuals who go to counseling for mental health problems are mentally weak

 Low

1.79 (0.798)

15.573

<.001

1.73 (0.784)

5.724

.017

 High

1.56 (0.738)

1.59 (0.756)

I feel that individuals who go to counseling for mental health problems are crazy

 Low

1.58 (0.727)

10.595

.001

1.57 (0.722)

11.683

.001

 High

1.41 (0.641)

1.40 (0.636)

I feel that individuals with mental health problems should handle problems on their own without the help of counselors

 Low

1.73 (0.797)

6.199

.013

1.75 (0.831)

11.708

.001

 High

1.58 (0.773)

1.54 (0.730)

I feel that individuals who go to counseling for mental health problems are not able to solve problems

 Low

1.82 (0.799)

11.227

.001

1.80 (0.795)

9.202

.003

 High

1.62 (0.754)

1.62 (0.756)

I feel that individuals who go to counseling for mental health problems are lazy

 Low

1.56 (0.715)

15.441

<.001

1.54 (0.741)

14.457

<.001

 High

1.35 (0.615)

1.35 (0.574)

I feel that individuals who go to counseling are different from normal people in a negative way

 Low

1.65 (0.749)

15.992

<.001

1.66 (0.785)

23.675

<.010

 High

1.43 (0.678)

1.35 (0.574)

Note: n = 698; Means based on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree); number of perceived benefits dichotomized into high (11–14 perceived benefits) and low (0–10 perceived benefits) based on the median split; number of perceived barriers dichotomized into high (9–14 perceived barriers) and low (0–8 perceived barriers) based on the median split; and missing values are excluded.

It is to be conclude that it does make a difference for college students or anyone according to the studies provided for people to get therapy and treatment for mental illness. I can conclude perceived benefits outweigh the barriers and stigma. It did however show that females sought treatment before males.

There are many perceivers that may influence a students' approach towards mental services, but their perceptions, barriers and benefits related to seeking treatment makes all the difference in the world. All they need to do is get the proper peer support and seek treatment for all the success in the world.

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