The Negative Stigma of Mental Health Treatment

Mental illness affects people of all ages. Mental disorders may be biological in nature or can be a result of personal experience. A social stigma may keep some mentally ill people from seeking treatment.

Stigma

• Social stigma, or prejudice, may appear in the form of direct and hurtful comments to the person suffering from mental illness or uneducated and negative assumptions about their behavior or personality, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Effects of Stigma

• According to a survey published in Medical News Today, more than half of adults have concerns about the stigma of mental health treatment, and 26 percent of adults do not seek treatment because of the stigma.

Misconceptions

• Others may view people with mental illness as weak, unmotivated, deeply flawed or even harmful. History proves this wrong. For instance, Abraham Lincoln, Patty Duke and Lionel Aldridge all suffered from mental illnesses, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Significance

• Social stigma can cause low self-esteem for mentally ill people and may become a barrier to everyday opportunities and activities, including jobs and education.

Prevention

• The Mayo Clinic recommends that people with mental illness fight the social stigma by educating others about the root of mental disorders, who suffers from them and why.