The Unfortunate Stigma of Mental Illness

By Amanda Cohen on June 3, 2015

There is a negative stigma that surrounds the issue of psychological health and wellbeing. This unfortunate outlook on mental health is the reason why suicide is the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four, and the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of twenty-four and thirty-five years old. Suicide is a devastating and extreme case of poor psychological wellbeing, but this is really the only time that most people focus on mental health, a time in which they are too late to save a person’s life. When reading this article, here are some statistics that each of you should know:

—“Depression is a major public health problem that affects up to 6 million American men and 12 million American women annually” (NIMH, 2003).

—“Less than half of all Americans who have serious mental illnesses do not receive adequate treatment each year” (NEJM, 2005).

—“Ten percent of college students have been diagnosed with depression” (NMHA, 2001).

—“Seven percent of college students have an anxiety disorder” (NIMH, 2000).

—“More than 75 percent of college students reported feeling ‘overwhelmed’ in 2001, while 22 percent were sometimes so depressed they couldn’t function” (ACHA, 2001).

There are many factors that we must consider when analyzing these statistics, but the one that I am going to focus on is society’s perception of psychological disorders. People too often stereotype people suffering from mental health disorders as being “crazy” and having to be restrained in a blank, white room while a nurse feeds them medication every hour of the day. Even though certain situations may result in a person residing within a mental health institution, most of the time a person who is dealing with the burden of depression, anxiety, or any other disorder is the smiley person who sits next to you in your biology class.

Sadly, that happy go-lucky student probably goes back to her dorm room each night bawling her eyes out, thinking that she is crazy and should be able to move past this on her own. This italicized statement encompasses everything that is wrong with society’s outlook on mental health. People too often only consider someone to be “sick” or “troubled” if he/she shows visible symptoms of suffering. If you cannot bandage the “wound,” then it is something you can fix on your own.

People cannot just look at themselves in the mirror and say, “Suck it up. People have worse problems than you do. You’re fine.” Life is not always fair, and there are people who have to sadly endure the detriments of cancer, financial stress, or a death in the family, but that does not mean that the burdensome thoughts running through your head are any less important. Any form of illness, stress, or disorder that deters you from living your life to the fullest is an issue that deserves to be fixed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/13/mental-illness-physical-i_n_6145156.html

Another issue with mental disorders is the double standard that it presents. The following scenario further delves into this issue.

—Andrea is an eighteen-year-old girl who comes from a wealthy family. She has a fantastic relationship with her parents and her two brothers. She recently was accepted into her dream school, the University of Michigan, as a Ross pre-admit. She never had to worry about working because her parents had the means to pay for her entire education.

—Lola is an eighteen-year-old girl who has had to work her way through high school because her mom is a single parent raising three kids. Lola and her family are extremely close, but they do not get to see each other that often because all of them work and the kids participate in extracurricular activities to boost their resumes. Lola was recently accepted into the University of Michigan as well, but in order to help pay for her education, she needs to work two jobs while also maintaining straight A’s so that she can keep her scholarship.

—Andrea and Lola became fast friends at Michigan. Since Andrea felt that she could trust Lola, she confided in her and said how she recently has been having suicidal thoughts. Lola comforted Andrea, but she thought to herself that there is no reason that Andrea should be this upset since she has had everything in her life handed to her on a silver platter.

As humans, our thoughts are affected by our emotions and experiences, which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, when it comes to mental health, these emotions often skew our opinions in a negative manner. In the case of Andrea and Lola, Lola is being a good friend by comforting Andrea during this difficult time, but her thoughts do not parallel with her actions. Lola does not understand how it is possible that the girl who has everything could even have these problems. This is where the double standard plays a role in psychological wellbeing. People need to understand that a person’s financial, familial, academic, occupational, and social standing does not always affect how a person is doing emotionally.

http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/what-is-mental-illness-1917412-Feb2015/

Even if this double standard is eliminated, there is another situation that must be rectified: health insurance coverage of mental health treatments. According to the Institute of Medicine, “One in five American families has at least one member who lacks health insurance coverage, a situation that can place the entire family at risk for financial ruin and poor health” (IOM, Sept. 2002). When someone cannot breathe because they need a lung transplant, most health insurance companies cover the operation. In contrast, when someone cannot breathe because of their persistent panic attacks, most health insurance companies leave it up to him/her to pay for treatment. The money from insurance companies that goes towards treating mental health issues usually only helps with prescription payments. However, more times than not, therapy is more effective in treating psychological disorders (or, in some cases, is necessary even when a person is taking medication). People, especially policymakers, need to draw their attention to psychological wellbeing as means to eliminate the negative stigma that is associated with poor mental health. I have included links to resources if you are interested in learning more about psychological health.

— http://www.mentalhealthconnection.org/facts_stats.php

— https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-suicide

— http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/mental-health.htm

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