Running head: AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA 1

An In-Depth Look at Mental Health Stigma

Sterling Nuñez

Central Piedmont Community College

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA 2

An In-Depth Look at Mental Health Stigma

Introduction

Mental illness is something that has been around in societies for decades, spanning all

kinds of cultures in all types of areas, and America is no different. A wide variety of people from

young to old are affected, which also applies to the stigma surrounding it. The effects that the

stigma has on those who deal with mental health are some that are completely negative, hurting

them more than it may seem at first glance.

Background

Depression is only one piece of this wide category of illnesses, and it’s been around as far

back as ancient Mesopotamia (Duverge, 2015). Despite this, there has always been an issue with

the stigma associated with it throughout the years, even though it has been seen in a very large

amount of populations. Mental health stigma describes any type of discrimination and unfair

treatment of those who struggle with any kind of mental health issue, and it has gotten worse

over time. Throughout recent years however it has been starting to be taken more seriously, but

the situation isn’t perfect, and most likely never will be. Many are taking steps to reduce or get

rid of this stigma outright, because of how negatively it affects those struggling with mental

health issues who need help.

The infographic from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI for short) helps

demonstrate just how many Americans are affected by mental health. According to the figure, for

every 5 adults in America, 1 of them experiences some kind of mental illness (NAMI).

Narrowing down on those numbers, 18.1% (42 million) of American adults are living with

anxiety disorders (NAMI). This is only one type of illness, and it affects almost one-fifth of the

entire American adult population. A large amount of these people may want help, but won’t go
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out of their way to get it because of the stigma associated with it so their problem will only get

worse: “Nearly 60% of adults with a mental illness did not receive help in the previous year”

(NAMI). While not every single adult struggling from a mental illness may want to receive

treatment, 60% is over half of the population, and that is a number is very high for such an issue.

With 91% of people endorsing the benefits of getting help from a professional for those suffering

with major depression in 2006 (“The stigma of mental illness,” 2015), over half the population

not getting help is an even

stronger issue when looked at

deeper.

Demographics

One of the biggest groups

that are affected by mental health

and stigma as a whole are college

students in the U.S. The

prevalence of mental illness in

college student populations has

constantly been on the rise. These

students are seen to struggle with

mental health stigma more than

some others due to how students
are often treated while in college.
For example, the rigorous course
Mental Health Facts In America. (n.d.). National Alliance on
Mental Illness. Retrieved from:
https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-
Media/Infographics/GeneralMHFacts.pdf

loads and expectations put onto students can cause some to enter a deep depressive state. When
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this happens it would be right for a student to seek help, whether it be on campus or out of it, but

it is usually not that easy. Students seeking help or often criticized by their own peers and the

things said about those looking to seek help to better themselves can prevent them from seeking

help altogether. Holland Donna and Wheeler Heidi stated: “Based on prior research findings, it

was necessary that the current study include stress levels of students since the levels were

reportedly increasing but the use of services was decreasing” (2016). It would make sense that

the higher stress levels that students get to, the more likely their will to get help would be, but as

research shows that’s just not the case.

Another group affected strongly by mental health stigma are mental health professionals.

It could be assumed that those who are seeking help from professionals would be oppressed

more than those who give the help, but this is not always the case. Mental healthcare

professionals can often be treated and targeted worse than those who are seeking help, however

they are affected in much different ways, so directly comparing them is not so simple. There are

two main ways in which mental health professionals are affected by stigma, they are looked at as

the perpetrators of the stigma when looked at by the public eye, and are seen as victims of stigma

when the public feels negatively about them (Verhaeghe and Bracke, 2012). What this means is

that they are often blamed for something they aren’t doing, which is fanning the flame that is

mental health stigma, when in actuality they are the ones trying to help those struggling, and due

to this they can be seen as victims of stigma. Not to mention that mental health professionals

have much lower prestige and respect when compared to other type of healthcare professionals.

Cause/Effects

There are many different causes for the rise of stigma in today’s society in America, and

a big one is the media. This is due to how easy it is to report on the negative aspects of mental
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illness and spread information including, but not limited to: “criminality, drug and alcohol use,

and addiction“ (Holland and Wheeler, 2016). Whenever something negative happens such as a

shooting in America, the perpetrator is often confirmed to have some kind of mental illness and

the problem comes from unfair generalization about all people who struggle with a mental health

problem. According to Cheryl K.Olson, dangerousness/crime are the most common themes when

it comes to stories about mental illness (“The stigma of mental illness,” 2015). When the

majority of information seen online about mental health is in such a negative light, it’s only right

that the overall perception from the population is negative. The media often amplifies the

negative views on those struggling with mental illnesses, and when online people often join in on

the groups they are often saying poor things about it without thinking. This includes social media

as one of the biggest outlets in the media, which many use as their main news outlet. When it

comes to social media it’s not just the news that spreads negative information about mental

illness, but also regular people talking negatively about it and others joining in because it is

popular to do so. The negative outlook as a whole when it comes to the media is very effective in

affecting the minds of the mass population due to how easily information spreads and how many

people use those services. These things only cause people to hide their problems and can lead to

much more devastating consequences. Things such as suicide and other self-harming acts are

becoming more and more prevalent in society, with the suicide rate being 14 for every 100,000

individuals in 2017 (AFSP). It is also being seen more and more in college students, as well as

older adults when no one can get help, or even refuse to get any at all because of what someone

might think of them. That is evidenced by the fact that middle-aged white men have the highest

rate of suicide (AFSP). When acts like this happen they affect more than just the person who

committed it, but also any friends or family that the person has.
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Conclusion

Mental health is in a very odd place right now, where progress is being made to help it,

and things are also happening that are setting it back even further. In the U.S. all types of people

are affected, from kids to adults in different professions and all kinds of ethnicities as well. The

negative outlook on mental health is a loss of seems for everyone involved, because those who

need help are being oppressed and often don’t get what they need, and for professionals in the

field they won’t get as many patients, and are also seen poorly by the public.
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References

Duverge, G. (2015, April 01). Breaking America's mental health stigma. TOURO. Retrieved

from: https://www.tuw.edu/psychology/breaking-americas-mental-health-stigma/458

Holland, D., & Wheeler, H. (2016). College student stress and mental health: examination of

stigmatic views on mental health counseling. Michigan Sociological Review, 30, 16-

43,135. Retrieved from:

http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1836863658?acc

ountid=10008

Mental health facts in America. (n.d.). National Alliance on Mental Illness. Retrieved from:

https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/Infographics/GeneralMHFacts.pdf

The stigma of mental illness: Causes, effects, and potential solutions. (2015, ). Pasadena Villa.

Retrieved from: https://www.pasadenavilla.com/2015/02/04/the-stigma-of-mental-illness-

causes-effects-and-potential-solutions/

Suicide statistics. (2017). American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Retrieved from:

https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/

Verhaeghe, M., & Bracke, P. (2012). Associative stigma among mental health professionals:

Implications for professional and service user well-being. Journal of Health and Social

Behavior, 53(1), 17-32. Retrieved from:

http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/940349553?acco

untid=10008