Become a part of the change: Help fight mental health stigma

By Ellie Duncan

Despite living in a world where the number of those suffering with poor mental health is steadily increasing, there remains a strong stigma around it. Therefore, I would like to highlight how each of us, despite our experience of mental health, can become part of the change and help fight mental health stigma.

So firstly, what is it and why is it important?

Mental health stigma refers to negative and unfair assumptions about those suffering with mental health. Often, not everyone understands mental health and may therefore have misconceptions about what certain mental health problems entail. For example, there is often a stigma that those suffering with mental illness are dangerous, when in fact the most common mental health problems have no significant link to violent behaviour.

Research identifies 3 main types of stigma:

1. Public stigma: negative attitudes that others have about mental illness.

2. Self-stigma: one’s own negative attitudes about their mental illness.

3. Institutional stigma: the limitation of opportunities for those with poor mental health through government policy and organisations.

Mental health stigma can often lead to marginalisation and discrimination. In fact, 9 out of 10 people struggling with mental illness report having felt discriminated against or stigmatised. Consequently, this stigmatisation can result in the worsening of symptoms for those with poor mental health and can create a barrier to help seeking. Furthermore, stigma has been shown to influence basic human needs: self-perceptions, employment, housing, relationships, and physical and mental health. Psychological effects can include but are not limited to low self-esteem, isolation, hopelessness, and shame.

What might discrimination look like?

There are several types of mental health discrimination:

• Direct discrimination: being treated worse than others because of one’s mental health problem

• Indirect discrimination: when a person or organisation has arrangements in place that puts one at an unfair disadvantage 

• Discrimination arising from disability: being treated badly because of something that happened due to one’s mental health problem, for example, being given a warning at work for taking time off for medical appointments

• Harassment: being intimidated, offended or humiliated

• Victimisation: being treated badly because of making a complaint

If you are experiencing discrimination, what can you do?

- Try speaking to the person you feel discriminated against. It can be good to have a third party person present to provide you with confidence and monitor the conversation.

- If the above fails to resolve the issue then a formal complaint should be made with an account of what happened and what you would like the outcome to be.

- If the formal complaint reaches no outcome then you can make a complaint to the ombudsman (more details can be found here). 

Thus, it is vital to reduce the stigma so those who need help can seek it. Here are 3 ways all of us can help do this:

1. Talk openly

Don’t be afraid to talk openly about mental health whether that’s with friends, family, or on social media. This could involve talking about your own experience of mental health, displaying support for someone you care about, or talking about campaigns and national stories covering mental health.

2. Educate yourself

It can be easy to buy into the stereotypes surrounding those with poor mental health. So it’s important to dedicate a portion of time to truly educate yourself on the experiences of those living with mental illness and recognise that not all experiences are the same. For example, you could take a look at mental health blogs, charity websites and campaigns.

3. Encourage equality between physical and mental illness

Aim to discuss and treat mental illness in the same way you would talk about a physical illness. This ensures that mental health gets the same attention and treatment as physical health, which will greatly contribute to the destigmatisation of those with poor mental health.

To conclude…

Hopefully you’ve now gained a better understanding of what mental health stigma is and how it can affect those suffering with mental illness. In light of Mental Health Awareness Week, we would really encourage you to talk more about mental health and take the time to educate yourself on the experience of those suffering from it. Lastly, if you are experiencing discrimination from stigma, remember that you are not alone and you do not need to put up with it.