Mental illnesses like schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder are legitimate medical conditions, not character flaws. They are caused by genetic and biological factors and can be effectively treated. However, stigma and lack of understanding prevent many from seeking help. Myths that those with mental illnesses are dangerous or that conditions like depression are simply weakness perpetuate social stigma. In reality, around 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime, and conditions like depression result in significant economic costs due to lost productivity. Increased education is needed to reduce the stigma around mental illnesses.

1. STIGMA
Heather Quisenberry

2. What is stigma?
 Stigma Definitions
– A mark of shame or discredit; an identifying mark or characteristic; a scar,
stain or brand (Merriam-Webster)
– Used by sociologist Erving Goffman (1960) to refer to “an attribute that is
deeply discrediting”…”reduces the person from a whole and usual person
to a tainted, discounted one”
– In Greek society, stizein was a mark placed on slaves to identify their
position in the social structure and to indicate that they were of less value
 Stigma involves people making unfair moral judgments about other
people often based on stereotypes and misinformation
 Stigmatization consists of 2 fundamental elements
– Recognition of the differentiating mark
– Subsequent devaluation of the person
2Source: World Psychiatry Journal

3. Stigma: who and why?
Stigma affects people with:
 Mental illness – most stigmatized group (World Psychiatry Journal, 2012)
 Disabilities
 LGBTQ populations
 Addictions
 Minority groups
Why stigma exists and how it is maintained:
 History of misunderstanding and mistreatment
 Myths and misconceptions
 The media
 Prejudice and discrimination
 Negative judgments and labels
 Stigmatizing phrases
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Increased education helps reduce stigma

4. Myths and facts about mental illness
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5. Myth or Fact?
 Psychiatric disorders are not true medical illnesses like heart disease
and diabetes. People who have a mental illness are just "crazy."
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6. Myth
 Psychiatric disorders are not true medical illnesses like heart disease
and diabetes. People who have a mental illness are just "crazy.“
Brain disorders, like heart disease and diabetes, are legitimate medical
illnesses. Research shows there are genetic and biological causes for
psychiatric disorders, and they can be treated effectively.
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7. Myth or Fact?
 People with a severe mental illness, such
as schizophrenia, are often dangerous and
violent.
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8. Myth
 People with a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are
usually dangerous and violent.
Statistics show that the incidence of violence in people who have a brain
disorder is not much higher than it is in the general population. Those
suffering from a psychosis such as schizophrenia are more often
frightened, confused and despairing than violent.
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9. Myth or Fact?
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 Most communities offer 24-hour mental
health facilities so people in crisis can get
the mental health care they need

10. Myth
 Most communities offer 24-hour mental health facilities so people in
crisis can get the mental health care they need
Few communities offer 24-hour mental health crisis facilities. As a result,
those in crisis are often diverted to jails or hospitals or go untreated until
symptoms worsen.
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11. Myth or Fact?
 Mental illness is a result of bad parenting
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12. Myth
 Mental illness is a result of bad parenting
Most experts agree that a genetic predisposition, combined with other
risk factors, leads to a psychiatric disorder. In other words, mental
illnesses have a physical cause.
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13. Myth or Fact?
 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime
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14. Fact
 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime
Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness and the World Health
Organization.
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15. Myth or Fact?
 Schizophrenia means “split personality”
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16. Myth
 Schizophrenia means “split personality”
Schizophrenia is often confused with multiple personality disorder. Actually,
schizophrenia is a brain disorder that robs people of their ability to think
clearly and logically.
The estimated 2.5 million Americans with schizophrenia have symptoms
ranging from social withdrawal to hallucinations and delusions. Medication
has helped many of these individuals to lead fulfilling, productive lives.
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17. Myth or Fact?
 Depression results in more
short term workplace
disabilities than any other
ailment
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18. Fact
 Depression results in more short term workplace disabilities than any
other ailment
 Major depression is associated with more annual sick days and higher
rates of short-term disability than other chronic diseases.
 People suffering from depression have high rates of absenteeism (in
some cases, three times more sick days than non-depressed workers)
and are less productive at work.
 In a study comparing depression treatment costs to lost productivity
costs, 45 to 98 percent of treatment costs were offset by increased
productivity.
Source: NAMI
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19. Myth or Fact?
 Depression results from a character flaw
or weakness. People could snap out of it if
they had enough willpower.
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20. Myth
 Depression results from a character flaw or weakness and people could
snap out of it if they had enough willpower
Depression has nothing to do with being lazy or weak. It results from
changes in brain chemistry or brain function, and medication and/or
psychotherapy often help people to recover.
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21. Myth or Fact?
 Most suicides occur due to
mental illness
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22. Fact
 Most suicides occur due to mental illness
Some statistics indicate as many as 90% of suicides result from (often
undiagnosed) mental illness.
There are roughly 39,000 suicides per year in the U.S. and 1 million
worldwide. The suicide rate has been climbing over the past decade.
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23. Myth or Fact?
 Children rarely develop mental illnesses
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24. Myth
 Children rarely develop mental illnesses
Children and adolescents can and do develop severe mental illnesses. In
the United States, one in ten children and adolescents has a mental
disorder severe enough to cause impairment.
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25. Myth or Fact?
 Children with mental illnesses get
treatment more often than adults
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26. Myth
 Children with mental illnesses get treatment more often than adults
Only 20% of children and half of adults get the mental health treatment
they need. Studies show that stigma is a major contributing factor for not
seeking help.
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27. 27
Schizo PSA

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Appendix

29. Famous people known to have suffered from mental
illness
 Mike Wallace of “60 Minutes” battled depression
 Abraham Lincoln had severe, debilitating depression
 Ludwig van Beethoven had bipolar disorder
 Vincent Van Gogh had bipolar disorder
 Sir Isaac Newton had bipolar disorder
 Michaelangelo
 Patty Duke
 Charles Dickens
 Vivian Leigh (Gone with the Wind)
 Jimmy Piersall (Boston Red Sox)
 Ernest Hemmingway
 Tennessee Williams (Playwright)
 Buzz Aldrin (astronaut)
 Adam Ant
 Rosanne Barr
 Marlon Brando
 Terry Bradshaw
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 Jim Carrey, Depression
 Winston Churchill
 Dick Clark
 Kurt Cobain
 Judy Collins
 Pat Conroy
 Calvin Coolidge
 Sheryl Crow
 John Daly
 Diana, Princess of Wales
 Carrie Fisher (princess Leia in
Star Wars)
 Tipper Gore
 Linda Hamilton
 Delta Burke
 Earl Campbell
 Drew Carey
 Demi Lovato
 Linda Hamilton
 Janet Jackson
 Billy Joel
 Catherine Zeta Jones
 Ashley Judd
 Margot Kidder
 Heath Ledger
 Marie Osmond
 Marilyn Monroe
 Janet Jackson
 Billy Joel
 Catherine Zeta Jones
 Ashley Judd
 Margot Kidder
 Heath Ledger
 Marie Osmond
 Marilyn Monroe

30. References
 Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research study
http://www.indiana.edu/~icmhsr/sgcmhs.html
 Stigma: An international Briefing Paper
 Stop Stigma
 People do what feels good
 Addiction stigma reduces rates of recovery
 http://www.stopstigmasacramento.org/
 http://www.nami.org/
 http://www.bringchange2mind.org/
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