A large proportion of society consists of people who grow up in loving homes surrounded by caring family members, and wealth to support their every interest. On the other hand, many individuals are born disadvantaged, be it in broken homes, economically unstable areas or an emotionally unavailable society.
A plethora of factors affect the mental growth and stability of a person, the majority of which are not in the individual’s control. These can result in the development of mental illnesses, which can affect the thinking, behavior, energy or emotion of a person, making it difficult to cope with everyday life. These mental illnesses can affect every part of a person’s life, from their interactions with others to basic motor skills required to operate in the world.
Social stigma is structural in society and may create barriers for persons with a mental or behavioral disorder. In this context, stigma is embedded in the social framework to create inferiority. This belief system may result in unequal and biased access to treatment services or the creation of policies that disproportionately affects the population. Social stigma can likewise make differences in access to essential necessities and needs.
Societal structure of the evolved world makes individuals look down upon those with some physical lacking, which often translates to any flaw a person can have. The severity of mental illness may be minute and unnoticeable, but due to the millennia of inadvertent conditioning, mentally ill people are thought of as being completely useless members of society, which is in fact completely untrue.
Society tends to blame mentally ill people for suffering from a devil of their own creation. What they fail to realize is that in nearly all cases, it is society, and the social environment these people live in to be the largest factors in the development of their mental illness. Social pressures and societal constructs create a stigma that everyone must be perfect and possess absolutely no flaws. This idea in itself is an unachievable dream, and is highly problematic as our flaws and differences are what make us human.
Public beliefs towards mental illness is often correlated to drug abuse, prostitution and general criminality. Public response to mental illness can also be described as oblivious, with a high percentage believing this group doesn’t deserve help. This impacts people so much that they may not be able to enjoy safe housing, job opportunities or even basic healthcare. The stigma and negative beliefs however are not exclusive to the public. Healthcare professionals also show some undesirable attitudes towards the mentally ill population. In healthcare sectors, stigma and discrimination could be observed on several levels. On a larger scale, mental-illness may receive less investment, lower quality of standards and biased culture. In healthcare individuals, interaction with patients could also be influenced by pre based stereotype thoughts, discriminatory behaviors and negative attitudes. Patients may feel devalued, dismissed, and dehumanized by many health professionals.
Stigma isn’t just held among others in the public eye however can likewise be disguised by the individual with the condition. With the rise and spread of various forms of media, there has been an unprecedented rise in the spread of people’s opinions. Due to the natural psychology of humans, this has created a severe distrust between people and has effectively separated humanity into hostile factions. Thus, the continued impact of these social/public stigma can influence an individual to feel guilty and inadequate about his or her condition. People with psychiatric disability will internalize societal stigma and believe that they’re less valued because of their disorder. Thus self-esteem declines, as well as confidence in one’s future.
The stigma is propelled by false portrayals of mental illnesses by the media. It creates several misconceptions about mental illness and creates false stereotypes. Three prevalent ones are as follows; people with mental illness are violent, homicidal maniacs who need to be feared and avoided; they have childlike perceptions of the world that should be marveled; or they are liable for their illness because they have weak character. Throughout all of these ignorant and primitive attitudes, one characteristic remains common: Not legitimizing these peoples’ very real illnesses. These send the message that this group should be avoided and expelled from communities.
The media needs to change the way they portray characters with mental illnesses. Instead of taking a rather negative approach and portraying the mentally ill people as a threat to society they can be portrayed in a positive light.
Furthermore, education plays a significant role in challenging stigma. For instance, when individuals have contact with those with mental illnesses, stigma can be diminished. This may be the result of stereotypical beliefs about psychiatric conditions that are consistent with dimensions of stigma such as dangerousness or aesthetics. The effect of one-on-one contact helps people discover similar interests and develop a friendship and this interaction discredits stereotypes and allows one to be free of lies fed by society. Campaigns that protest against the biased judgement and stereotyping of the mental-ill population within the media are another solution to vary these negative thoughts and misconceptions. Petitions should be signed and organizations should be formed to raise awareness amongst the people.
Why are people with diabetes or coronary heart diseases not treated any differently? Why are they not labelled as “special”? How come people with mental illness are discriminated against but people with any physical illness are considered “normal”? Why do we consider mental illnesses to be “internal” and “self-inflicted”, when it is the social and cultural environment that creates the greatest impact on a person’s mental development?
The societal stigma devalues the mentally ill, the professionals and the health network set up to support them. Mental health programs and issues are not a priority or are of little importance to governments, which diminishes the quality of treatment (when available) and impairs their quality of life, as well as the possibility of recovery. Mental health professionals can still be allied with anti-stigma initiatives and can advocate for adjustments in the treatment of the mentally ill. Campaigns can be organized to raise awareness of the issues that can be beneficial. Just like how increased exposure to people of different ethnicities or backgrounds has been shown to reduce feelings of prejudice and suspicion, increased exposure to, or discussions about, mental health problems and what they mean for those who deal with them can understand can greatly aid this community
The human mind is very good at becoming aware of things, but it’s a lot harder for this awareness to lead to changes in behavior. Abstract concepts and understanding can be useful, but things that cause strong sensory or emotional reactions carry more weight as far as our psyche is concerned. For instance, dieting is hard because although we know the risks of highly saturated foods, the sensory pleasure you get from the latter often outweighs the intangible understanding of the former when decision making comes into play. People tend to lean toward instant gratification, even if waiting a little can provide an objectively better experience.
Similarly, having an abstract awareness of mental health issues does not automatically translate to a willingness or ability to do anything about them. The point is that mental illness is a taboo topic in society, and only when we are able to break through these stigmas and constructs, will we be able to make any appreciable change.
The writer is currently studying A levels at Aitchison College, Lahore