Stigma and Discrimination of People Living with Mental Illness

Stigma and Discrimination of People Living with Mental Illness
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Stigma and Discrimination of People Living with Mental Illness
Several individuals living with mental illness in Australia fear seeking medical assistance because of the stigma around the same. These individuals fear that their lives will change when they admit they have a mental health problem, from losing their jobs to losing close friends. The major cause of stigma and discrimination of people living with mental illness in Australia is caused by lack of understanding (Morgan, Reavley, Jorm, & Beatson, 2017). Most people do not understand what mental illness entails, the characteristics and behavior of individuals living with mental illness, and the emotions or feelings these people encounter. People get assume these people’s behavior and emotions based on what the media displays regarding the same. There are three types of stigmas regarding mental illness; self-stigma, public, and institutional stigma. Discrimination of people living with mental illness occurs on several fronts, such as people distancing themselves, limited jobs and chances of getting jobs, and dismissal from current jobs.
The three types of stigmas get categorized depending on the source of the stigma. The individual living initiates Self-stigma with mental illness such that they doubt themselves and feel inferior (Morgan, Reavley, Jorm, & Beatson, 2017). This feeling of life is over results from the misinformation individuals receive on media regarding mental illness. A great example is Cameron Solnordal, an Australian diagnosed with schizophrenia, a mental illness (Sara & Mitchell, 2020). Mr. Solnordal states that once he learned he had schizophrenia, he knew his life had ended. Mr. Solnordal believed that there was nothing he could do to earn a living or provide for his family because of the stigma created by society (Sara & Mitchell, 2020). People know that individuals living with mental illness cannot control their actions; they are impulsive, destructive, and violent. Once an individual discovers they might have a mental illness, they withdraw from the public. Some individuals fear check-up to avoid confirmation or to prevent their social circles from discovering their condition. These people assume that they will be incapable of socializing like before or handling tasks the same way, yet people with mental illness can be as reliable as anyone else. Mr. Solnordal, for example, works from home and has been able to raise and support his family (Sara & Mitchell, 2020). Self-stigma involves self-judgment and loss of self-esteem, but it also originates from public stigma.
The second form of stigma is public stigma, and it entails judgment from anyone in public or society. As earlier mentioned, people have the wrong idea regarding those living with mental illness. Humans understand the medical concept of mental illness, but once they know someone with mental illness conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, they negatively perceive the person (Morgan, Reavley, Jorm, & Beatson, 2017). An excellent example is the assumption that pe...