Stigma and discrimination add to the suffering and disability associated with mental disorders - Essay Example

? Stigma and Discrimination Add to the Suffering and Disability Associated with Mental Disorders By of [Word Count] [Date] Introduction Patients of mental conditions, their friends, families and health care workers such as nurses concur that these patients are exposed to quite high levels of social stigma and discrimination due to their mental ill health (Margaret & Janine, 2011). These discriminations and stigma make it rather difficult for mentally ill people to recover and worsens their pains and suffering (Richards & Bergin, 2000). Given the prevalence of mental health conditions in current society, the effects of stigma and discrimination on mental patients can be said to affect a rather large portion of the population (Bruce et al., 2013). That is, these problems extend to and affect mental health patients’ friends, families, colleagues, care providers and the larger society. In the UK, statistics show that about one in four people are likely to experience a mental health problem at some stage in their lives. Globally, there are 450 million people with mental health problems (Patel & Prince, 2012). On a rather positive note, most victims of mental illnesses recover fully to live and manage normal lives, especially when they get appropriate and timely help. The social stigma associated with mental illnesses has been closely associated with the discrimination that mentally ill people face in different aspects of their lives (Corrigan & Kleinlein, 2005). Notably, many of these patients’ pain, suffering and other problems are worsened by the stigma and the resultant discrimination they experience from the public and their families, friends, colleagues and employers (Kitchener & Jorm, 2002).This study seeks to explore the extent to which stigmatization and discrimination add to the suffering and disabilities of the mentally ill. Rationale/Background/Justification From literatures and studies conducted in the field of mental health with reference to stigma and discrimination, it is quite clear that the stigma and discrimination faced by the mentally ill really aggravate their suffering, exacerbate their disabilities and reduce their chances of partial or full recovery. In other words, stigma and discrimination not only worsen these patients’ health problems but also impede their receipt of assistance, treatment and recovery (Hilton, 2006). The other effects of mental-health stigma and discrimination are social isolation, poor housing, unemployment and poverty (Burke, 2010). Purpose of the Study 1. Establish the existence and the severity of the stigma and discrimination faced by the mentally ill in society 2. Explore the various causes of the stigma and discrimination faced by the mentally ill in society 3. Explore the extent to which the subject of the stigma and discrimination faced by the mentally ill in society has been researched 4. Propose techniques by which stakeholders such as nurses, families, friends, governments, institutions and NGOs may combine efforts to reduced this stigma and discrimination Research Question Do the stigma and discrimination faced by mental health patients add to their suffering and disabilities? Keywords Stigma, mental disorders, discrimination, disabilities, suffering, mental illness, Stereotypes Literature Review The methodology to be used in searching literatures in this research will encompass diverse categories of print and non-print resources that focus on the issues and subjects of mental health, mental illnesses, stigma and discrimination and their effects on mental health patients, their friends, families and caregivers. Other subjects to be focused on will be the extent to which stigma and discrimination affect the recovery of mental health patients and the future prospects for mental health stakeholders with regards to the stigmatization and discrimination that the mentally ill face (Weare, 2000). Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria The accessed and reviewed literatures will have to meet certain rigorous exclusion and inclusion criteria set for the literature review section. For instance, the books and articles will have to have been written and/or published at least ten years to be included in the review. The reason for this time line is that studies conducted and literatures written in this period most likely used the latest and most reliable approaches to scientific research (Rusch et al., 2005). Second, the literatures must have been associated with the subjects of mental health, stigmatization, discrimination, mental illnesses and their effects, which are the core subjects of this project. To select these literatures, several key words were used. The following are some of the key words and phrases used in the literature review to obtain the best evidence for this research: stigma, mental disorders, discrimination, disabilities, suffering, mental illness and stereotypes. Research Design and Methodology This study will adopt a qualitative research approach, which will seek to expand the understanding of the behaviours and challenges of mental health patients and the reasons they face these barriers and behave in certain manner. It essence, the study will entail asking participants questions and gathering data in form of words for analysis, interpretation and presentation purposes. Thus, the study will not necessarily have to quantify its findings: rather, it will attempt to investigate the effects of stigma and discrimination on mental health patients’ suffering and disabilities. That is, the potential relationships among the variables of stigma, discrimination and mental health patients’ suffering and disabilities will be examined. Being a qualitative in nature, the study is associated with the philosophical and theoretical stance of social constructionism. In social constructionism, things are socially constructed, implying a focus on events’ dependence on a group of variables of the social rather than on any inherent quality that events or things possesses (Koyanagi & Goldman, 2001). Thus, the social variables of stigma and discrimination affect mental health patients’ suffering and disabilities. The philosophy of this non-experimental study will be anti-positivism, according to which sociological researches should be done with emphasis on humans and their cultural values (Varcarolis, 2010). Research Instrument The research instruments to be used in this survey are the questionnaire and interviews for about forty respondents. Generally, the targeted participants in this study will be are mental health facilities’ workers/nurses, owners, managers, patients and other stakeholders. Specifically, the questionnaires and interviews will target the mental health facilities’ leaders, managers, employees, these facilities’ consumers and their loved ones. There are several reasons questionnaires are considered the most appropriate tool for collecting data in this study. First, questionnaires are cheap over other approaches and rarely need a lot of effort from the questioner as is the case with other methods such as direct verbal and telephone surveys (Storrie et al., 2010). Second, questionnaires use standardised questions that require standardised answers, hence making data compilation and analysis easier (Storrie et al., 2010). Sampling In the study, sampling will be based on the PICO model. In essence, PICO will enable the placing together of a search strategy that will incorporate a more evidence based approach to the literature search section of the meta-analysis and search of bibliographic databases of Medline (OVID), PubMed, Embase and other similar databases. PICO represents Patient or Population (who or what of the research or analysis), Intervention (the how), Comparison (what is the main alternative, if necessary) and Outcome (what is to be accomplished, the measures, improvements and effect). Ethical Issues There are several ethical issues that are likely to be encountered in a research including honesty, objectivity, integrity, carefulness, openness, and respect for intellectual property, confidentiality and responsible publication (Power, 2010). This study will strive to honestly report data, results, methods and procedures without fabrication, falsification or misrepresentation of data. Second, there will not be any bias in experimental design, data analysis, data interpretation, and peer review and personnel decisions. With regards to integrity, the researcher should keep promises and agreements with participants and conduct self with sincerity and strive for consistency in action and thought (Richards et al., 2010). On openness, data, results, ideas, tools and resources will be shared across the study activities and stakeholders (Koyanagi, 2007). Plan for Data Analysis The data will be analysed by the researcher through the processes of inspection, transformation and modeling to emphasise and bring out the targeted and useful information. After the analysis, suggestions will be made from the findings, which may be used by various interested parties to support current and future decision making. Although the study’s methodology was based on the instrument of questionnaire, some quantitative approaches and tools may be employed especially for questions that demand ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answers. Results The reviewed studies revealed that stigmatization and discrimination against the mentally ill is rather rampant. In fact, there is a general trend in which the mentally ill and looked down upon and automatically considered lowly members of society. However, the meta-analysis revealed that quite many recommendations and strategies to address this trend and reduce the stigma and discrimination faced by mentally ill persons. Examples of these strategies are protests, education, contact and anti-stigma campaigns. For these strategies to be effectively implemented, society, nurses, doctors, relatives, friends, families, government, health institutions should all play their roles in reducing or eliminating the stigma and discrimination faced by the mentally ill. Resources Quite a number of resources will be used in the study. To set up the project, reach the participants and collect data, there will be travelling expenses to be incurred. There will also be typing and clerical support expenses since the questionnaires, survey questions and reports will have to be prepared and the right number of copies made. Thus, there will be additional expenses with regards to photocopying. At the analysis stage, computing costs will have to be incurred. Importantly, prior to the analysis of data, postage and envelopes for the surveys will be incurred, especially for participants not directly accessible. Discussion Mentally ill persons are plagued by stigma and discrimination in many aspects of their lives. It should be noted from the onset that stigma is depressing stereotype vastly affecting mental patients. This assertion and situation is particularly true given the manner in which people judge the mentally ill in society. This stigma is thus a big barrier to these patients’ complete, enjoyable and satisfying life. On the other hand, discrimination refers to an inequitable treatment of an individual on the basis of his or her identity such as race, origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, creed, ancestry, sex, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, socioeconomic status and mental status. Discrimination in this sense is thus the negative behaviour that the mentally ill face from society due to the negative stereotype of stigma. In many instances, mentally ill people encounter myriad types of discrimination due to their mental status and identity. For an illustration, a mentally ill woman may be discriminated due to her race, gender and illness. Implications for Nursing Since nurses are the immediate caregivers to mental health patients, stigma and discrimination affect them more than any other professionals in the health care industry. Therefore, addressing the issues of stigma and discrimination against mental health patients will really boost nurses’ morale and make their work easier and less stressing. This assertion is true considering that the faster mental health patients get better or the less their pain and suffering, the easier and less stressing nurses’ work become (Barlow et al., 2009). By exploring the relationship between stigma and discrimination on one hand and mental patients’ suffering and abilities on the other, it may become easier for caregivers and loved ones to handle these patients more competently and effectively (Luchins, 2001). Through the recommendations and the studies to be published, nurses and other health care workers will be better placed to reduce the level of stigmatization and discrimination that the mentally ill face from families, friends and the larger community (Keyes, 2002). This study is thus of immense significance not only to nurses but also to friends and families of mental health patients. Limitations of the Study Several limitations are expected to be faced especially due to the use of questionnaire in the study. These include but are not limited to inadequacy in the understanding of all information obtained due to changes in participant emotions, behaviour and feelings. In other terms, the questionnaire is believed to asking only a limited number and type of information devoid of explanations. This instrument may also suffer lack of validity since it is not easy to tell and confirm a respondent’s truthfulness. What is more, a respondent could be forgetful or fail to understand and respond within the context of the situation. Respondents may also read and respond to questions differently, depending on their prejudiced interpretation of the question. The other limitation likely to be encountered is researcher imposition, implying researchers making their own decisions and assumptions, especially in the making of the questionnaires. Conclusion Since time immemorial, the mentally ill in society have been viewed as lowly people, leading to their being discriminated against by others. Luckily, quite a lot of studies and campaigns have made society more aware of the plight of the mentally ill and the need to take care of them and love them. This meta-analysis and review of studies and literatures have revealed that the mentally ill have really incomplete and stressful lives mainly due to this discrimination and stigmatization. In fact, this stereotyping make the mentally ill suffer more than their disorders do. It is thus imperative that all stakeholders combine hands to curb these menaces and make the lives of the mentally less painful and more bearable. Appendices Appendix A: Summary of Analysed and Review Literature Authors Study aims Method Results Rusch, Nicolas; Angermeyer, Matthias C.; Corrigan, Patrick W. To clarify the concept of mental illness stigma and discuss consequences for individuals with mental illness. Conceptual overview Main strategies to reduce stigma are protest, education, contact and anti-stigma campaigns. Bruce G. Link, Lawrence H. Yang, Jo C. Phelan and Pamela Y. Collins. Measuring Mental Illness Stigma Meta-analysis and review of articles Various techniques by which stigma and discrimination is measured Corrigan, P. W. To identify practical strategies for research and social change with regards to stigma against mental health Meta-analysis The society, nurses, doctors, relatives, friends, families, government, health institutions should all play their roles in reducing or eliminating the stigma and discrimination faced by the mentally ill Corrigan, Patrick W., Kleinlein, Petra. Describes the ways in which stigma impacts people affected by mental illness. Reviews Sources of stigma: landlords, employers, members of the criminal justice system, and health providers. Stigma impacts on a patient’s mental well-being, health care choices, decisions and life goals. Peter Byrne Stigma of mental illness and ways of diminishing it Education, rehabilitation Patrick W. Corrigan, Fred E. Markowitz and Amy C. Watson. Structural Levels of Mental Illness Stigma and Discrimination Reviews and Meta-analysis Structural, or institutional, discrimination encompass the policies of private and governmental institutions that wittingly restrict mental patients’ opportunities. Appendix B Day/Week Week 1 Week 2 1 Search for secondary literature Search for primary literature 2 Read secondary and primary literature Read secondary and primary literature 3 Plan sections and sub-sections Write first two sections 4 Write sections 3-6 Write sections 7-10 5 Write sections 10-13 Proof read and amend sections 1-4 6 Proof read and amend sections 5-10 Proof read and amend sections 11-13 7 Check references match citations, proof read and print Proof read final printer version References Barlow, D. H., Durand, V. M., and Steward, S. H. (2009) Abnormal psychology: An integrative approach, second edition. Toronto: Nelson. Bruce, G., Jo, C. P., and Pamela, Y. C. (2013) A preliminary evaluation of internalized stigma and stigma resistance in inflammatory bowel disease. Journal of Health Psychology, 18(4): 451-460. Burke, P. (2010) Brothers and Sisters of Disabled Children: The Experience of Disability by Association. British Journal of Social Work, 40(1): 1681. Corrigan, P. W., and Kleinlein, P. (2005) The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma. American Psychological Association. Hilton, J. W. (2006) Stereotypes. Annual Review of Psychology, 47(1): 237–271. Keyes, C. (2002) The Mental Health Continuum: From Languishing to Flourishing In Life. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 43 (2): 222. Kitchener, B. A., and Jorm, A. F. (2002) Mental health first aid manual. Canberra: Centre for Mental Health Research. Koyanagi, C. (2007) Learning from history: De-institutionalization of people with mental illness as precursor to long-term care reform. Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Koyanagi, C., and Goldman, H. (2001) The Quiet Success of the National Plan for the Chronically Mentally Ill. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 42:9: 905 Luchins, A. S. (2001) Moral Treatment in Asylums and General Hospitals in 19th-Century America. The Journal of Psychology, 123(6): 607. Margaret, E., and Janine, G. D. 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