The Contribution of Sociology to Our Understanding of Mental Illness - Term Paper Example

Sociology xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Understanding Mental illness xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course instructor xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date submitted xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Introduction Mental illness has for along time been described as an individual’s weakness or caused by neuro-chemical or genetic causes. However sociology helps us understand mental illness as individualistic, physiological and genetically composited are not convincing enough to explain the mental health of a human being. Its states that social factors like gender, trauma, ethnicity, class, sex orientation or marital status are reliable in determining the mental health of someone. Social process determines and shapes every concept of mental illness. Moreover, they play a very vital role in the aetiology of mental disorders, which states that any mental illness is always instigated by environmental and genetics. Social processes also affect the way mental health practices are done (Nettleton 2006) Psychiatrists have for a long time being assisted by sociologists in diagnostic and other mental operations. This started from the work of Emile Durkheim (1964) which entailed the normal and pathological. In his case the standards and rules used to determine what can be considered pathological assists in knowing the norms and the values of a society in deep. Societies use the pathological to determine what is normal. According to Durkheim, normal and pathological definitions among the societies differ from according to the value of each society and therefore anything considered as a mental illness is socially and culturally relative. Then there is a tendency for any society to have element of social controls where by there are defined ways they use to apply their rules especially between what is normal and what is pathological, and finally societies have rules that are meant to advocate and allow smooth running of the society and instill cohesion. Many researchers have tried to define and analyze mental illness, mental illness as a kind of a deviance for for any illness there is always a motivational element. Mental illness therefore is viewed as a breaking of social ethical and political norms. Sociological work also views some medical disorders in relation to behavior. In this case sociological relates mental illness to the analysis of behavior and the biomedical dominants in psychiatry which finally assimilates mental illness as being a result of body and mental behavior (Jasper 1963). Sociology concentrates on the reason, thought and emotion in defining mental illness. This tries to discuss the impact of emotional work and emotional labour to mental illness. Emotions are a vital factor to be considered when trying to define and understand mental illness (Clossley 2000). In the sociological point of view, mental illness is a product of how human think about and cause an action. But this varies from time and place. Epidemiology is the basis that sociology help one understand why some people get mental illnesses, by first of all examining the distribution of the illness across populations for aetiological exploration. Sociologists Robert and Warrem (1939) studied social ecology by examining the distribution of mental illnesses and this helped understand the social factors and their roles in mental illnesses. They stated that in some areas manic depressive psychosis is randomly distributed, this meant there was impact of the of genetic factors in its aetiology, however, Schizophrenia seems to be so much concentrated in poor areas.. They concluded that, the concentration of schizophrenia is caused by lack of community networks in the poor neighborhoods and social isolation which is a common case in that kind of the society. Genetic factors in this study were not to blame for the distribution of schizophrenia but social factors are accountable for this happening. Social class is a common factor considered in understanding mental illness. Hollingshead (1958) concluded that, social classes contribute highly to mental illness. This is by a fact that, class seemed to be directly related to the level of mental illness, how to treat it, the type of treatment to induce to the disorder and the exact type of illness. The lowest social class V experience more mental illness particularly psychosis which is likely to be treated through courts and official settings and likely to be treated via organic therapies and not psychological therapies. The relation between social class and mental illness is explained in the neo-Marxian framework which deals with employment relations (Wright 2005). Social stratification is the way used to rank people using economic attributes such as year and education. These rankings are referred to as gradient signs in epidemiology (Muntaner et al 2004). Research show that this social stratification is determinants of mental disorders mobility patterns. Class inequality involves even the property control overt the labor process which is closely associated with mental illnesses. Social class which is a social link to production of goods and services is all together different from social stratification or socioeconomic status (SES). However, SES indicators are associated with mental illnesses just like social class. Different levels in employment are associated with differing mental disorders. In any organization, control is measured by the ability to influence company policies and making decisions over other employees, determine what needs to be done plus having authority over all the others. Workers in lover ranks are very likely to suffer from mental illness that those is managerial / higher levels in working places. Study shows that there is a link between inequality and mental illnesses (Miech & O’Campo 2004). This is highly affected by income, occupational social class and education just to mention but a few, resulting to depression, anxiety disorder and substance abuse. People with low education attainment and income are at higher risk of having mental illnesses as compared to high earning and high education attained (lorant et al 2003). Poverty increases the chance of one getting depressed and thus being mentally ill. Moreover, people working in a white collar jobs are less likely to be depressed than the blue collar workers (Eaton et al). When a society has no contact of mental health services is a result of social isolation which is a strong aetiological factor (Langer & Michael 1963). Certain social factors contribute to mental disorder especially early infancy experiences. This means that social class and mental illnesses mostly result from social stress. Stressful events and difficulties in life today account for mental illnesses and depression in different classes. Situational stress and childhood experiences are common aetiological ideas associated with mental illness because they expose individuals to neglect. Gender and ethnic differences are other social aspects that help understands mental illness. Gove and Tudor (1972) examined the male female differences in mental disorder levels. In the study close attention was given to women who are mostly committed to domestic and paid employment. There is a big difference on this impact on women and men. Women are more likely to have mental disorders that men are. In this matter gender determines the difference in power men and women have in connection to their socioeconomic determinants of their mental health, their status, and exposure to some specific mental risk. Men however are associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The factor the bring all this difference between men and women is power. Power brings all the difference in gender depression (Horwitz 1982). Power is individual ability to impose what they want on other people. Women in most societies are venerable and therefore have the high chance of suffering depression. For those women who are employed, there are increased demands on them. This is because they still have their primary duties at home and childcare. This results show that, women suffer depression at a higher rate than men. Depression, somatic symptoms and anxiety are the most mostly the risk factors contributing to mental illness not forgetting the gender based roles, stressors and life experiences that are negative. Women are mostly affected by gender violence, low income and inequality, low social status and ranking. For instance, women are mostly affected by Post Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) due to common sexual violence. Sociologists indicated that interpersonal dynamics are associated with mental disorders. Paranoia and dynamics of exclusion (Edwin Lemert 1962) indicated that complex social processes are the root cause of paranoia development. This is done through the labeling theory which clearly explained the understanding of individual’s mental disorder. Social factors contribute to the causation of mental illness and an individual level. Family breakdown also affects the mental health in the society. Divorce or separation affects the mental heath of both adults and children. People with mental illness cannot support their families well and this can result to relationships breakdown. Research shows that mental problems are on the increase and blame is on poor parenting whereby there is no affection in that family or there are no set rules and boundaries (Layard R 2009). Conflicts between parents contribute to mental illnesses to children. Stigma accelerates the occurrence and the impact of mental illness. A person with mental illness can be positively or negatively affected by the way the society reacts to them. While there are many other things associated to mental illness, stigma and discrimination causes a lot of harm to mental ill victims (Sayce 2001). Stigma comes inform of distrust, fear, stereotyping and this destroys the impact of ones desire to look for employment, family or even treatment. Mentally ill people are sometimes stereotyped as dangerous weak willed. The stigma they face has a high probability of being transmitted to family and friends. In the society, those suffering from mental illness are very likely to be violated due to stereotyping. Mental illness is seen as a weakness and lack of self control. But in the real sense nothing to do with their detrimental symptoms moreover, the likeliness of the society seeing as if it is an indication of laziness are all misconceptions of the society ( CMHA 2006), mostly stamped by the media; these causes the mentally ill to shun from seeking medical care for the fear of social laughing stocks. This attitude affects in a big way the behavior of mental ill people. Stigma is mostly in work places where mentally ill people fear losing their job after spending so much time in the hospitals. This increases stigma and depression to the victims (Wolpert 2001) They are at higher chance of the mentally ill losing credibility and responsibility in the work place. This rejection makes the mentally ill conclude in their minds that they are unemployable reducing their morale in work place and losing focus in life. Attitude towards the mentally ill is a big blow in the recovering of the mental ill people. Education is the best method for reducing stigma and thus preventing and doing away with discrimination. Ethnicity is also a social aspect that helps understand mental illness. In this case people who are minorities are likely to be admitted in hospitals in connection to mental illness rather than the rest of the population. For example, black minorities are likely to suffer mental illnesses than majorities (Pilgrim & Rogers 2005). In most cases, these minorities suffer poor medical treatments and discrimination. Ethnic differing factors mostly occur before the patient gets to medical services. Age is yet another social aspect that contributes to mental illness in the society. In most cases children and young people suffer mental illnesses in large numbers. Children and mostly adolescent with learning disabilities have mental health and behavioral issues. Epilepsy, autism is comorbid disorder common in young people posing them at a risk of getting a mental sickness. Mental health and poverty go hand in hand which shows that people in lower socioeconomic societies experience more mental disorders. People in lowest social class are two and a half more likely to have mental illnesses than those of the highest social class (Kessler et al 1994). Family set up influence the mental health of people in the society, for instance single mothers are likely to have mental illnesses that the other categories of women . This is contributed by financial insecurity and the daily hardships encountered by this single mothers and marital disruptions Medical sociologists believe that medicines are powerful institutions of social control. This is further stated that the benefit of medical interventions is not only just beneficial to the people but also they are used to reinforce social structures. There are three possible harms associated with how mental illness is defined. First, people who are said to be mentally ill are stigmatized, secondly, the number of conditions of the mental disorder effect how powerful the mental health practitioners are and how far can the society keep ion relying on the medical practitioners. And finally, mental illness is sometimes used as a social control. I.e. sometimes it is used to impose certain standards in the society concerning the use of medicine that concerns mental health. Conclusion Different social status is closely related to differing mental illnesses. Sociology can comprehensively be used to describe and understand mental illness in many ways. This include through the use of social class which maintains that people living in a poor neighborhood are very likely to suffer mental illness that those living in first class neighborhoods. Employees on managerial positions who have the powers even to fire and hire are less likely to suffer depression compared to those in lower positions and working groups. Gender can be used to determine mental health. In this case women are affected by the occurrences in life including any family disintegration. Women suffer depression due to inequality and lack of social power in the societal setting. Stigma is a common occurrence especially towards the mental ill victims. This is because it results to discrimination that in the long run inhibits negative attitude which may affect the way the mentally ill relate with others. In this matter, education is the only solution towards having a stigma free society. Ethnicity is another social factor that helps in understanding the mental illness. In this case, in places where racism is common; The minority group does not get the best medical attention and services, for instance, blacks in some places are discriminated by the white majority and at the end they end up having more mental complication due to the fact that they cannot get the required medical attention. Finally young people and children have a higher chance of having mental illnesses especially because of education strains. References Borrell, C., Muntaner, C., Benach, J., & Artazcoz, L. 2004 Social class and selfreported Health status among men and women: What is the role of work organisation, household material standards and household labour? Social Science and Medicine, 58, 1869–1887. Crossley, N. 2000 Emotions, psychiatry and social order: a Habermasian approach. 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