Written by Karen Tang
This month’s theme at the YCRH is around Mental Health and Well-being. May is Mental Health Awareness Month; this has been observed in the United States since 1949. The purpose of having an entire month dedicated to mental health and well-being is to continue to raise awareness and educate the public about mental health and illnesses, including what it is like to have lived experience with these conditions. Furthermore, this month is dedicated to learning more about strategies for attaining mental health and wellness in one’s own life. Lastly, Mental Health Awareness Months aims to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health and illnesses (also known as mental health stigma).
What is stigma?
Stigma can be defined as a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something. Due to stigma, people may have negative attitudes or misconceptions about a stigmatized person, which often lead to the creation of and perpetration of stereotypes. Oftentimes, we hear about the stigma of mental health and illness.
Stigma can come from a lack of understanding of mental health and illness, such as misinformation or ignorance. Stigma can also be a result of people having negative attitudes or beliefs about it (e.g., prejudice). Unfortunately, stigma often leads to discrimination against individuals with mental illness.
The impact of mental health stigma
It comes to no surprise that stigma and discrimination can worsen symptoms and lead individuals to be less likely to seek help for their mental health challenges. A recent review of 111 studies found that stigma can lead to lower self-esteem, increased mental health symptoms, and heightened difficulties with social relationships and challenges at work. Furthermore, patients reported having reduced hope, and being less likely to stay in treatment.
Those with lived experience with mental illness have often described experiencing shame ostracism and marginalization as a result of their diagnosis. In fact, people with mental illness have even described that the impacts of mental health stigma are worse than their psychiatric conditions itself, underscoring the harmful impacts of mental health stigma.
So what can YOU do to help reduce the stigma around mental health?
Actions to reduce mental health stigma
· Empathy and compassion go a long way! Remember to treat others the way you would like to be treated.
· If you are comfortable, talk openly about mental health! This can include reposting mental health content on social media, or even sharing your own lived experiences! The more awareness we raise about mental health, the less stigma there will be.
· It is important to be educated around mental health. Ensure you are not sharing or perpetuating misconceptions or negative comments. The more informed you are, the more you are readily able to combat any misinformation with facts and/or challenge stereotypes.
· Avoid using stigmatizing language. Language is powerful and your choice of words can either break down stigma and stereotypes or feed into them. For example, rather than using the terms “substance abuse”, “addict”, or “alcoholic”, use recommended language such as “substance use disorder” or “person who uses substances.” Similarly, instead of “mentally ill”, try “person who has a mental health challenge.” More information about using person-first language (which puts the focus on the individual, rather than the diagnosis/disorder) as well as specific terms to avoid are linked in the resources below.
· Normalize that mental health is health. When combatting stereotypes, it can be helpful to remind others that mental health is part of health. Aim to encourage equality between physical and mental health. It can be helpful to draw comparisons to how they might treat someone with a physical illness such as diabetes or a concussion.
· Choose empowerment over shame. Uplift those who have lived experience with mental health difficulties.
Resources and further reading:
Lancet article on “The health crisis of mental health stigma”: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)00687-5/fulltext
“Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness” by the American Psychiatric Association: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination
Learn more about using person-first language to reduce stigma here:
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2022/04/use-person-first-language-to-reduce-stigma/
https://www.in.gov/recovery/files/Stigma-AddictionLanguageGuide-v3.pdf