The Prevalence and Effects of Stigma and Discrimination on Individuals with Mental Health Conditions - Coursework Example

The Prevalence and Effects of Stigma and Discrimination on Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Name Institution Course Date The Prevalence and Effects of Stigma and Discrimination on Individuals with Mental Health Conditions Introduction Individuals with mental health problems face many challenges in the society. They not only struggle to manage the disabilities brought by the illness, but also the prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination resulting from the misconceptions that a section of members of the society have about mental disorders (Barney et al., 2009). This implies that individuals with mental health problems are denied the opportunity that defined quality of life, such as affiliation, employment, access to health care and safe housing (Corrigan & Watson, 2002). Despite there being a large body of literature discussing how mental health on individuals and families, there is lack of adequate studies discussing the prevalence and stigma and discrimination affects those with mental disorders (Mental Health Council of Australia, 2011). This paper discusses the prevalence and the effects of stigma and discrimination on individuals with depression and anxiety. Prevalence of Discrimination and Stigma Like in most parts of the world, Australia ranks among the countries with high mental health disorders. According to Jorm and Oh (2009), more than one million Australians suffer from some form of mental health disorder, although some may not be aware of their mental health status. The study also found that, out of this number, about 3 to 4% experience severe mental illness, with interferes with the state of their mental health and minimizes their ability to participate fully in the community. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 1997 report, about one in every five Australian adults aged 18 years and above satisfies the criteria of being considered mentally ill (Reavley & Jorm, 2011). The most alarming thing, however, is the fact that only 38% of the people surveyed during the study stated that they have access to health services. This implies that about 62% of the mentally challenges Australians get no assistance or depend on informal support sources, such as unpaid carers and families. Calear et al. (2011) also show that about 15-20% of Australian adolescents may be experiencing mental health disorders. Although there are many different forms of mental health problems, including Schizophrenia, substance use disorder, depression and anxiety, Corrigan and Watson (2002) found that depression and anxiety are among the most common mental health illnesses. Depression is a mental health problem that is characterized by a feeling of depressed mood, which affects the life of an individual. People with depression develops the feelings of sadness, mood swings and elation among others symptoms (Mental Health Council of Australia, 2011). Anxiety, on the other hand, is a feeling characterized by being anxious about something. People who are mentally ill are not only affected by the diseases, but also by the high prevalence of stigma and discrimination that affects their wellbeing and but also recovery from the diseases. Stigma linked to mental health problems have been documented in many literatures since the mid 20th century. Stigma occurs in two forms namely public stigma and self-stigma. Public stigma denotes the negative views held by the larger population about individuals with mental illness. Self-stigma, otherwise called internalized stigma denotes the negative self-beliefs that individuals suffering from mental health problems hold and the behaviors associated with it. A study conducted recently in Australia found that stigma is a common experience among people suffering from mental illness. According to Rusch et al. (2012), up to 75% out of the 427 mentally ill individuals surveyed in Australia stated that they had experienced public stigma over the last one year. A similar finding was made in 2006, in which it was discovered that about 74% of people surveyed stated that they had experienced some form of public stigma and discrimination because of the their mental illnesses (Reavley & Jorm, 2011). Stigmatization and discrimination of the people with mental health exists in general population, among health students and professionals. The public have often showed fear, dislike and in most cases distance themselves from the mentally ill. According to Jorm and Oh (2009), the society tends to stigmatize people with mental health problems arguing that mental illness is not only self-inflicted, but that the mentally ill are difficult to communicate with. Some view people with mental illnesses are being violent, thus should be avoided. Similar stigma and discriminatory attitudes are held by health professionals and this affects how care is delivered to the mentally unsound. For example, it has been found that a significant number of health professionals view people with mental health problems as being ‘stupid’ and abnormal. Studies have found that health care providers, including psychiatrists, mental health nurses, general practitioners and psychologists all discriminate against the mentally unsound. Additionally, Rusch et al. (2012) shows that stigma and negative attitude towards people with mental health problems are demonstrated by students of pharmacy, nursing and medicine. Effects of Stigma and Discrimination Depression and anxiety are some of the most prevalent form of mental health problems in Australia. However, stigma and discrimination has far reaching impacts on individuals with depression and anxiety in the society than needs to be understood and addressed to ensure that the mentally ill enjoy quality life without interference. First, stigma has been found to affect personal relationship that the depressed and the anxious have with friends and families. The OECD (2015) found that stigma and discrimination adversely affect the personal relationships individuals with depression and anxiety have with people around them. According to Rusch et al. (2012), the highest level of discrimination and stigma anxiety is experienced with friends and family members. Within families, individuals with anxiety and depression say that they experience stigma that include not avoiding individuals who have depression and anxiety, dismissal and denial of problems. Barney et al. (2009) noted that, in some societies, people are not comfortable to talk about mental illnesses because some see it as a curse or something that is self-inflicted. Because of this, some parents opt to play the mute game by refraining from discussing anything to do with mental illness. Because of this, people with depression and anxiety are often forced not to reveal their mental health problems because the parents and friends might not be comfortable to talk about it and this makes it difficult for such individuals to get the help that that they might need so as to improve their quality of life. Personally, building a new relationship with other men after having parted ways with the previous two has been difficult and has as a resulted decided to stay alone. Although seeking help is something that I have always consider, my parents have never been supporting of the idea and normally convince me that what I am going through is a normal process and should therefore move on. The high levels of stigma experienced within families are heighted mainly by the feelings of shame and the need to guard the name of the family (Mental Health Council of Australia, 2011). In the cultures where relationships are male dominated, such as in Islam, women experiencing depression and anxiety often feel a shamed to seek help because they are made to feel that depression and anxiety are normal things to go through and that it is a condition that would eventually go ways by itself. This has been seen among women who have been abused by partners by fail to seek help because they are made to feel as if depression and anxiety are normal things for women to experience. In other cultures, such as in the Middle Eastern countries, women are expected to maintain the reputations of their husbands and are not expected to them even when they are abused by their husbands in these relationships, is it emotionally, financially or physically. This is because any women who dares shame her husband risks her two newborn daughters being taken away. The majority of those with depression and anxiety say that they have lost people who were once very close to them of their mental state. In most societies, people associated mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety as being self-inflicted, curse and that these people display violent behaviors. Because of this stigma, most people tend to disassociate or isolate from people with depression and anxiety (Schomerus et al., 2012). Besides, some view people with depression and anxiety as being difficult to work with and that they can run someone down. As a result, people with depression and anxiety ends up being isolated by friends, families and the rest of the society and this adversely affect their recovery, health and wellbeing. Stigma also impacts negatively on such people by creating a barrier to participate in employment. In the workplace, stigma towards people with depression and anxiety is displayed in many different ways (Mental Health Council of Australia, 2011). For instance, individuals experiencing depression and anxiety because of what they are going through can sometimes be construed to means incompetence or laziness and this has the potential of making a person feel shameful about their situation. In fact, some people end up resigning from their jobs after being perceived to be incompetent or lazy because of their depressive disorder just to avoid being shamed in the workplace. Besides, suffering from depression and anxiety also impacts negatively on individuals in the workplace since the stigma and discrimination attached to mental illnesses makes it difficult for one to get hired, get promoted and returning to work. Moreover, stigma and discrimination attached to depression and anxiety makes individuals avoid disclosing their mental state to the employers. According to Jorm and Oh (2009), about 57% of the mentally ill failed disclose their mental health state to the employer for fear of embarrassment, discrimination and for fear that disclosing that they are mentally ill could impact their employment opportunities. Stigma also affects the depressed and anxious by affecting how they access treatment and mental health services. The majority of individuals with anxiety and depression cite experiencing discriminating and stigmatizing attitudes from health care providers and caregivers to the extent that the majority say that they often feel patronized, humiliated, or punished in dealing with health care providers. According to Rusch et al. (2012), discrimination and stigma creates the feeling of shame and embarrassments, which minimizes the likelihood of a person with depression and anxiety seeking assistance from health care providers, which only increases psychological distress and reduces effectiveness of recovery. Rusch et al. (2012) study found that negative reactions of family, friends and work colleagues has the potential of reducing a person’s probability of seeking health services. Additionally, discrimination affects the depressed and anxious by making it difficult for this segment of the society to get access to insurance cover. Health insurance, in particular is an important tool for every person (Schomerus et al., 2012). However, the rampant stigma and discrimination against people with depression and anxiety have been shown to affect these segment as most insurance providers are not willing to cover them arguing that they are unwell. This was confirmed by a study conducted in 2010 by Beyondblue and Mental Health Australia found that 35% of the respondents with depression and anxiety stated that they were finding it hard getting any type of insurance cover due to their mental health condition (Mental Health Council of Australia, 2011). The figure almost doubled to 67% for income and life protection insurance. The majority of the respondents stated that they were discriminated against when applying for insurance products and demanding claims. An Evaluation of How Stigma and Discrimination Is Being Addressed Within Australia to Protect the Rights of Mental Health Consumers Australian government understands that discrimination and stigma towards people with depression and anxiety is a national issue that should be addressed safeguards the rights of this segment of the society and to promote their quality of life. As such, there are a number of measures that have been taken to address stigma and discrimination so as to protect the rights of mental health consumers. First, the Australian government seeks to address stigma against the mentally challenged through a number of policy frameworks that have been enacted in the last few years. One such us the National Mental Health Policy of 2008 that seeks to minimize the effects of mental disorders, as well as the impacts of stigma on persons, family and the community as a whole Rusch et al., 2012). The other is the Fourth National Mental Health Plan 2009 to 2014. This policy was created in recognition that people with anxiety and depression experience stigma and discrimination that affects their ability to get employment and safe housing. As such, this plan recommends the creation of sustainable stigma-reduction approach countrywide in a bid to protect the rights of mental health consumers. Recently, the Australian government came up with the Ten Year roadmap for National Mental Health Reform that seeks to address stigma among health care service providers to so as to ensure that the mentally ill segment of the population are not discriminated against and receive quality services and support from care providers (OECD, 2015). Additionally, there is the national Health Statement of Rights and Responsibility which is a policy created to ensure that there is non-discrimination and social exclusion of people with mental diseases in workplace, health care facilities and in the society as a whole. Lastly, National Review of Mental Health Programmes and Services of 2014 that proposes the use of incentive approaches tackle stigma against mental health consumers (OECD, 2015). Other than the government efforts, non-governmental organizations, such as the Beyondblue is conducting aggressive stigma and anti-discrimination campaign against mental health consumers that involve public education and contact approach. Conclusion The analysis has indicated that people with mental illnesses face many challenges that including managing the disease and its symptoms, as well as the prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination resulting from the misconceptions that people have about mental illnesses. Stigma and discrimination affects personal relationships, ability to get a job, access to health care and insurance services among others. Nonetheless, as indicated, the Australian government in conjunction with interested parties has put in place a raft of measure aimed at addressing stigma and discrimination so as to protect the rights of mental health consumers. References Barney, L.J., Griffiths, K.M., Christensen, H. & Jorm, A.F. (2009). Exploring the nature of stigmatising beliefs about depression and help‐seeking: implications for reducing stigma. BMC public health, 9(61). Calear, A.L., Griffiths, K.M. & Christensen, H. (2011). Personal and perceived depression stigma in Australian adolescents: magnitude and predictors. Journal of Affective Disorders, 129, 104 – 108. Corrigan, P. W, & Watson, A. C. (2002). Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness. World Psychiatry, 1(1), 16–20. Jorm, A. F. & Oh, E. (2009). Desire for social distance from people with mental disorders: a review. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 43, 183 – 200 Mental Health Council of Australia (2011). Consumer and carer experiences of stigma from mental health and other health professionals. Retrieved from http://www.mhca.org.au/index.php/information‐and‐ publication/159‐stigma OECD. (2015). Mental health and work mental health and work: Australia. Sidney: OECD Publishing. Reavley, N. J. & Jorm, A. F. (2011). Stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental disorders: findings from an Australian National Survey on Mental Health Literacy and Stigma. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45, 1086–1093. Rusch, N., Evans‐Lacko, S. & Thornicroft, G. (2012). What is a mental illness? Public views and their effects on attitudes and disclosure. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46(7), 641 – 650.  Schomerus, G., Schwahn, C., Holzinger, A., Corrigan, P.W., Grabe, H.J., Carta, M.G. & Angermeyer, M.C. (2012). Evolution of public attitudes about mental illness. A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinaica, 125(6), 440 ‐ 452 Read More

People who are mentally ill are not only affected by the diseases, but also by the high prevalence of stigma and discrimination that affects their wellbeing and but also recovery from the diseases. Stigma linked to mental health problems have been documented in many literatures since the mid 20th century. Stigma occurs in two forms namely public stigma and self-stigma. Public stigma denotes the negative views held by the larger population about individuals with mental illness. Self-stigma, otherwise called internalized stigma denotes the negative self-beliefs that individuals suffering from mental health problems hold and the behaviors associated with it.

A study conducted recently in Australia found that stigma is a common experience among people suffering from mental illness. According to Rusch et al. (2012), up to 75% out of the 427 mentally ill individuals surveyed in Australia stated that they had experienced public stigma over the last one year. A similar finding was made in 2006, in which it was discovered that about 74% of people surveyed stated that they had experienced some form of public stigma and discrimination because of the their mental illnesses (Reavley & Jorm, 2011).

Stigmatization and discrimination of the people with mental health exists in general population, among health students and professionals. The public have often showed fear, dislike and in most cases distance themselves from the mentally ill. According to Jorm and Oh (2009), the society tends to stigmatize people with mental health problems arguing that mental illness is not only self-inflicted, but that the mentally ill are difficult to communicate with. Some view people with mental illnesses are being violent, thus should be avoided.

Similar stigma and discriminatory attitudes are held by health professionals and this affects how care is delivered to the mentally unsound. For example, it has been found that a significant number of health professionals view people with mental health problems as being ‘stupid’ and abnormal. Studies have found that health care providers, including psychiatrists, mental health nurses, general practitioners and psychologists all discriminate against the mentally unsound. Additionally, Rusch et al. (2012) shows that stigma and negative attitude towards people with mental health problems are demonstrated by students of pharmacy, nursing and medicine.

Effects of Stigma and Discrimination Depression and anxiety are some of the most prevalent form of mental health problems in Australia. However, stigma and discrimination has far reaching impacts on individuals with depression and anxiety in the society than needs to be understood and addressed to ensure that the mentally ill enjoy quality life without interference. First, stigma has been found to affect personal relationship that the depressed and the anxious have with friends and families.

The OECD (2015) found that stigma and discrimination adversely affect the personal relationships individuals with depression and anxiety have with people around them. According to Rusch et al. (2012), the highest level of discrimination and stigma anxiety is experienced with friends and family members. Within families, individuals with anxiety and depression say that they experience stigma that include not avoiding individuals who have depression and anxiety, dismissal and denial of problems.

Barney et al. (2009) noted that, in some societies, people are not comfortable to talk about mental illnesses because some see it as a curse or something that is self-inflicted. Because of this, some parents opt to play the mute game by refraining from discussing anything to do with mental illness. Because of this, people with depression and anxiety are often forced not to reveal their mental health problems because the parents and friends might not be comfortable to talk about it and this makes it difficult for such individuals to get the help that that they might need so as to improve their quality of life.

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