Stigma Question- Zoya Waseem

Stigma is, quote, “a set of negative and unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something.” Stigmas can develop for
numerous causes, especially because of racist assumptions made by society targeted at groups with specific characteristics. Individuals who are
diagnosed with mental illnesses are commonly perceived as unstable people with bare intellect. Additionally, stigmas lead to discrimination, or
negative actions that are intended specifically at someone for a certain feature. Stigma happens when a person is defined by their illness rather
than who they are as an individual. For example, a person who is diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) would be labelled as psychotic
because of the behaviour the population believes they possess. However, how do these beliefs affect an individual with a mental
illness/disorder?

To set the stage, more than half of people with mental illnesses don't receive help for their disorders. Often, people avoid or delay
seeking treatment due to concerns about being treated differently or fears of losing their jobs and livelihood. Research has shown that the public
is more likely to reject a relationship with someone with a mental illness and less likely to recommend them for a job because of stigma. As a
result of these types of situations, individuals with mental illnesses often are hesitant to disclose matters pertaining to their mental health.
Moreover, it is crucial to note that 60% of people with a diagnosable mental health condition don't get treatment due to stigma, which usually
worsens the mental condition itself, and may result in the development of another one. Allow me to elaborate.

These fears/concerns that are generated due to the negative behaviour create a plethora of negative effects experienced by stigmatised
individuals: the list varies from lack of understanding from loved ones, to fewer opportunities for employment or social interaction, bullying,
physical violence or harassment, self-doubt, etc… All of these side effects essentially provoke lower quality of life, and more strenuous
recoveries.

One notable effect, for example, is the physical violence or harassment that stigmatised individuals often face. According to The
National Library of Medicine, “Mental disorders are neither necessary nor sufficient causes of violence.” Instead of people diagnosed with mental
illnesses/disorders, the main determinants of violence continue to be socio-demographic and economic factors. Moreover, the fact remains that
people who have mental illnesses are more likely to suffer bullying, harassment and violence. Frontier comments, “People with a mental health
disorder have a significantly higher risk of becoming victims of violence compared to the general population.” What’s more alarming is the fact
that most people disregard this when pointing their fingers at them, when these individuals are faced with unimaginable consequences. These
actions result in something called self stigma. Self-stigma refers to the negative attitudes, including internalised shame, that people with mental
illness may have about their own condition. People with mental conditions are forced to believe that they are dangerous, incompetent, and to
blame for something they had no hand in choosing. Consequently, there are wide ranging consequences of self-stigma. It can be a barrier to
recovery, increase depression, reduce self-esteem, and reduce recovery orientation. Additionally, a study also showed a strong correlation
between loneliness and self-stigma. Therefore, stigma essentially leads to a more strenuous recovery and a lower quality of life (mental
well-being).

As for lack of understanding from loved ones, stigma of mental illness is especially an issue in some diverse racial and ethnic
communities; it can be a major barrier to people from those cultures accessing mental health services. For example, in some Asian cultures,
seeking professional help for mental illness may be against cultural values of families, emotional restraint and avoiding shame. These situations
usually cause individuals with mental illnesses to have a more reserved personality and develop self stigma. This causes them to, again, have a
more strenuous recovery and a lower quality of life.

To cap it off, stigma leads to fewer opportunities for employment or social interaction because of the fear created by society. People
with mental illnesses or disorders are usually thought unstable and violent, who people would prefer to distance themselves from. This limits
social interaction and usually decreases the chance of employment because of discrimination. According to CAMH, “Individuals with a mental
illness are much less likely to be employed. Unemployment rates are as high as 70% to 90% for people with the most severe mental illnesses.”
This causes people with mental illnesses to become lonely (main cause of depression - leads to a longer recovery and a more damaged mental
health), develop self stigma, and have a lower income, thus, lower quality of life.

To close on a final note, stigma of mental illnesses triggers plentiful consequences for stigmatised individuals. Essentially, stigmas
cause a variety of problems from loneliness to lower quality of life to even more strenuous recovery times. In the end, it can be safe to say that
stigmas of mental illnesses can negatively affect people who are faced with stigmas of mental illnesses and stigma-based discrimination.
Bibliography: Some of them were unavailable at the time, so I just kept them in URL format.
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