How do the myths and stigma surrounding mental illness affect public policies?

1. Mental Illness in America
AGENDA
1. Please turn off your cell phone and put it away.
Thank you.
2. Attendance
3. Metal Illness deliberation
Next Class: Read NIF Booklet Nation in Debt.
11/17 Local Government Reflection Due
11/24 Policy Paper due

2. Frank and Alice
• What does stigma mean to you? Have you ever
been picked on or bullied because you are
different in some way?
• Why do you think people with mental illness are
stigmatized?
• What other health problems or social conditions
have been stigmatized in the past?
• Read these two case studies and be ready to
discuss the questions at the end.

3. When it’s personal
• How do think it feels to be mentally ill or
have a mentally ill person in your family?
• Based on what happened to Frank, who
would you tell? Who wouldn’t you tell?
Why?

4. The Stigma of Mental Illness
• The media play a major
role in stigmatizing and
stereotyping mental
illness.
• https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=mbbMLOZjUYI

5. The Stigma of Mental Illness
Studies show that a majority
of people believe that people
with mental illness are
dangerous and unpredictable
or that they self-inflict the
illness on themselves (i.e.
bulimia, anorexia,
alcoholism).

6. Myths about the Mentally Ill
Myth Fact
• Mentally illness cannot be
cured.
• Mentally ill people are
violent.
• Mentally ill people are
possessed by evil spirits
or did something wrong.
• All mental illnesses can
be treated.
• Only 7 % of untreated
mentally ill are violent.
• Mental illness is caused
by an imbalance of
chemicals in the brain.

7. Mental Illness & Public Policy
• Who should pay for the treatment of the mentally ill?
• Who should pay for their very expensive medications?
• Where should mentally ill people who cannot take care
of themselves or work be housed?
- In hospitals
- in group homes
- in prisons
- left on their own to find shelters or live on the street

9. Mental Illness and Prison
• 25 to 40% of people with
mental illness will spend
time in jail. Most will
have sentences longer
than a year.
• 55% of males and 75%
of female prisoners are
mentally ill.
• Ten times more mentally
ill are in prison than in
mental hospitals.

10. Mental Illness and Guns
*Only 7 % of mentally ill people
are violent.
Most states follow federal law and
only ban people from obtaining
guns if they are involuntarily sent
to a mental institution or are
found mentally ill by the medical
establishment.
Background checks are only
required at federally licensed gun
shops. 40% of gun sales are private
or at gun shows.

11. What rights do the mentally ill have?
• Read the Mental Health Declaration of Human Rights
Handout.
• Why do you think mentally ill people need these
rights spelled out?
• Which rights surprise you?
• Should mentally ill people have the right to reject
treatment and medications?

12. Deliberation
• For this deliberation you will be assigned a role. Take a card and
imagine you are that person Write down which option you think that
person would choose and why.
• Option 1: Put safety first - Mandate treatment, protect the public
by jailing and hospitalizing the seriously mentally ill.
• Option 2: Expand services – build more facilities, use more drugs .
• Option 3: Let people plot their own course – accept more
variation in human behavior, increase self-help opportunities, curtail
use of drugs

13. Next Class
• Read NIF Booklet Nation in Debt.
• 11/17 Local Government Reflection Due
• 11/24 Policy Paper due