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People dealing with Mental illness often avoid seeking professional treatment due to the
fear of judgment. This often causes people to sweep their problems under the rug. Many people
avoid treatment out of the fear of being falsey stigmatised as “Violent” or “Crazy”. Stigmas are
the leading factor in the disparity between people dealing with mental illness and people actively
seeking treatment. Stigmas create a sense of alienation between a person and the rest of society,
often reducing the opportunities in one's life. Stigmatization is described as the process of
placing judgment on a group of people who “Subsequently experiences discrimination and loss
of status in the context of social, economic and political power” (National Institute of Mental
Health, pg.1, 2012). Despite the amount of mental health resources available “Only 2.5 million
of the 21.2 million individuals struggling with mental illness accessed treatment” (Substance
Abuse and Mental Health, p.4, 2014) due to stigmatization. People dealing with mental illness
may resort to varying types of bad coping mechanisms. Including self harm, drug addiction, and
avoiding their problems. Changing the stereotypes behind stigmas could help reduce the rates of
people struggling with mental illness and lead to a vast improvement in public health.
The Effects of Media on Interpersonal Literacy and Communication
Stigmas are a constant plague that people face everyday. Language used in relation to
stigmas play a crucial part in shaping beliefs and views about mental conditions. That's why it’s
important for language to avoid bias. Stigmas can be created through types of media, portraying
inaccurate examples of varying illnesses to impressionable audiences. Being associated with a
particular stigma can affect every facet of an individual's life. This can cause people to be treated
differently by their friends and family, discouraging them from seeking professional help.
Furthermore, the discrimination of stigmas may put the people around a person in a position of
“Superiority”. Rewriting the narrative of media and general knowlage allows for a more
understanding and inclusive society. In turn, seeking professional help can be easier and more
comfortable for people struggling with mental illness.
The Importance of Education
Proper education can help people realize the benefits of seeking professional help. For
example, if families are properly educated on the benefits of seeking help, parents would be
more proactive about getting their kids treatment without the fear of judgment due to stigmas.
Stigmas and maleducation can cause parents to be worried about whether certain community
members would report them to child services for utilizing treatments.
The lack of education provided on dealing with PTSD and other diagnoses leaves people
to bereluctant to open up and seek treatment. Societal roles can also impact the way stigmas are
portrayed. Men are often considered masculine and stoic, so seeking help could be considered
weak by their peers. Another commonly portrayed misconception is people dealing with
mentally illnesses are violent, despite the fact that they are more commonly a victim of violent acts.
Stigmatization doesn't only affect the individual dealing with mental illness, it also has an impact on
one's family, friends, and community. Stigmatation often causes the behavior of surrounding people to change, due to their own fear of getting judged by assoation.
Proper education can have many positive benefits, for instance “Integrating behavioral health
into primary care can reduce depression scores by up to 50 percent”(SAMHSA, p.4, 2014).
Witnessing someone struggling with mental challanges is commonplace for people to become
distant and harsh. Often due to a lack of knowledge and resources available to the general public.
Interpersonal Solutions
A lot of these solutiouns may seem out of your control, but here are 3 things that you can
do to help!
Make Sure to use Inclusive Language: Being concsciousness of your word choices is an
effective way to enforce destigmatization. This includes avoiding derogatory terms and
unnecessary labeling such as “Crazy”. When speaking to people, try to avoid judgement. After
getting to know someone, you will often find that they are more complex than a simple label they
have been given.
Challenge Preconceived Ideas:
It is important to remember that the preconceived ideas someone may hold can be false.
Challenging these notions can lead to an abundance of new opportunities. You never know what
you might discover or who you’ll meet when you go into new opportunities with an open mind!
Educate Yourself:
While a systemic shift in education would be helpful, it is important to remember that change
can also start with you! Taking the time to properly educate yourself on the harmful effects of
stigmas can lead to a more inclusive society for everyone.
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