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
3
Increased education helps reduce stigma
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."
5
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.
6
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?
9
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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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
21
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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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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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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Editor's Notes
Stigma makes is difficult to speak openly about mental illness.
Negative judgments and labels can be attached to people in a variety of ways:
Blaming
Shaming
Fearing them
Calling them names
Talking behind their backs
Laughing at them
Considering their differences embarrassing or disgraceful
Thinking they are childlike or unintelligent
Thoughts of having nothing in common with them
Since myths and misconceptions feed stigma that harms people who have mental illness, we decided to address some of them today. This is the audience participation part of the presentation so please shout out the answers to each question.
According to a Sep 2011 Sustainability Audit on CCC, there is 1.1 psychiatric bed for 1,000 people who need them.
CCC has only 22 beds