The Untreated Epidemic
For every two people one will meet in their life, one of them will suffer a mental illness, such as anxiety, depression, or other mental health ailment according to Scientific American website, updated in 2016 (Scientific American). Although 50% of Americans will experience a mental illness, mental illness is not a subject society is well educated about. Subsequently, America is currently undergoing a powerful stigma towards mental illness. Similarly, America’s mental health epidemic is causing obstacles in social situations, and America needs to overcome the powerful stigma of mental illness. Overcoming the stigma of mental illness is important because the mentally ill who are left untreated, can cause harm to themselves, …show more content…
Unfortunately, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, updated in 2016, public stigma is a pervasive barrier that prevents many individuals in the United States from engaging in mental health care (NCIB). Public stigma refers to a set of negative attitudes and beliefs that motivate individuals to fear, reject, avoid, and discriminate against people with mental illness (NCIB). Unfortunately, after many experiments and researching, the National Center for Biotechnology Information proved that there is a strong public stigma towards the mentally ill; moreover stigmatizing beliefs about the dangerousness of people with mental illness have increased over time (NCIB). Beliefs of shame, blame, incompetency, punishment, and criminality of people with mental illness are common. Reducing public stigma towards mental illness is an important step that the United States needs to …show more content…
First the media can resist portraying individuals with mental illness as violent and should promote a more balanced portrayal of mental illness; thus the media should use it’s power to communicate to the public the true facts of mental illnesses. Second, anti-stigma conventions can be held to inform the public about mental ailments; likewise, anti-stigma interventions in U.S. high schools have been shown to improve attitudes towards mental health treatment and increase mental health literacy (NCIB). Third, mental health clinicians should openly engage clients in conversation about the social impacts of mental health care and use educational and motivational approaches to discuss mental illness and treatment options. By doing these things to reduce public stigma towards mental illness, those who are mentally ill will not feel as ashamed, and will be more willing to ask for help; in turn to asking for help, they will be offered treatment options for their illness, which will better not only their life, but the life of those around
For every two people one will meet in their life, one of them will suffer a mental illness, such as anxiety, depression, or other mental health ailment according to Scientific American website, updated in 2016 (Scientific American). Although 50% of Americans will experience a mental illness, mental illness is not a subject society is well educated about. Subsequently, America is currently undergoing a powerful stigma towards mental illness. Similarly, America’s mental health epidemic is causing obstacles in social situations, and America needs to overcome the powerful stigma of mental illness. Overcoming the stigma of mental illness is important because the mentally ill who are left untreated, can cause harm to themselves, …show more content…
Unfortunately, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, updated in 2016, public stigma is a pervasive barrier that prevents many individuals in the United States from engaging in mental health care (NCIB). Public stigma refers to a set of negative attitudes and beliefs that motivate individuals to fear, reject, avoid, and discriminate against people with mental illness (NCIB). Unfortunately, after many experiments and researching, the National Center for Biotechnology Information proved that there is a strong public stigma towards the mentally ill; moreover stigmatizing beliefs about the dangerousness of people with mental illness have increased over time (NCIB). Beliefs of shame, blame, incompetency, punishment, and criminality of people with mental illness are common. Reducing public stigma towards mental illness is an important step that the United States needs to …show more content…
First the media can resist portraying individuals with mental illness as violent and should promote a more balanced portrayal of mental illness; thus the media should use it’s power to communicate to the public the true facts of mental illnesses. Second, anti-stigma conventions can be held to inform the public about mental ailments; likewise, anti-stigma interventions in U.S. high schools have been shown to improve attitudes towards mental health treatment and increase mental health literacy (NCIB). Third, mental health clinicians should openly engage clients in conversation about the social impacts of mental health care and use educational and motivational approaches to discuss mental illness and treatment options. By doing these things to reduce public stigma towards mental illness, those who are mentally ill will not feel as ashamed, and will be more willing to ask for help; in turn to asking for help, they will be offered treatment options for their illness, which will better not only their life, but the life of those around