Changing Attitudes

Toward Mental Illness

AYMAN LUBBAD
• Negative attitudes and stereotypes about mental
illness often result in discrimination.

Stigma
• Mental illness is a major social stigma.
• Psychiatric symptoms may be denied or attributed
to “bad nerves "or evil spirits.
• the stigma associated with mental illness as a major
barrier to treatment.
• Stigma deprives these individuals of the support they
need to recover.
• Stigma does not affect everyone in the same way.
• People who believe that they will be judged or
treated harshly if they disclose information about
their mental health are less likely to seek
assistance and treatment.

• Youth for example, may be less likely to seek

public services because of the discrimination they
regularly confront
• Stigma might therefore discourage a member one of
these groups from seeking assistance, if he develops a
mental illness.

• In addition, stigma and discrimination can place

additional pressure on individuals, which can
increased mental health challenges.

• There is a general idea to stigmatize those who are

different.”

• It has always been dangerous to be different; but

times are changing
 Stigma & Mental Illness
• The mentally ill often perceived as:
o Dangerous
o Unpredictable
o Difficult to talk with
o Having only themselves to blame
o Able to pull themselves together
o Having a poor outcome
o Responding poorly to treatment
• This stigma makes the whole of life even
more difficult for both the mentally ill and
the mentally handicapped; it affects the
patients themselves, their relatives, and all
who deal with them. include mental health
professionals

• Medical students see psychiatrists as

‘interested in people’ but ‘unclear thinkers
and emotionally unstable’
 Submissions should be aimed at reducing the stigma

associated with mental illness 

• Awareness of Signs and Symptoms of Mental Illness:

• Early detection and treatment can improve someone’s odds of
recovery from a mental illness, and prevent future mental
health problems.
• An understanding of the signs and symptoms of mental illness
can help individuals determine when they should seek
treatment, or when they should encourage others to do so.
• Submissions should be aimed at helping users identify the signs
and symptoms of mental illness, and encourage help-seeking
behavior.
• Self-Care and Management:
• The World Health Organization WHO defines self-care as
“activities individuals, families, and communities undertake
with the intention of enhancing health, preventing disease,
limiting illness, and restoring health.”
• Self-care is also a critical component of good mental health.
• Physical activity, for example, can improve someone’s mood,
and has often proven useful in treatment plans for mild-to-
moderate depression.
• A balanced diet is also essential for optimizing brain
functions, while tobacco and drug use can be detrimental.
• Community Building:
• Supportive social networks improve mental health by
giving people a sense of purpose, belonging, safety, and
self-worth.

• As a result, the members of these communities may be

more motivated to practice proper self-care and ask
for assistance when needed.

• Students who feel isolated from their homes, families,

and friends—such as first-year students, may benefit
from a strong community.
 Some Recommendations
1. Improve interactions between the mental hospital
and the community
2. Mental health care should be less centralized by
Integrate mental health into primary care
3. Work towards length of stay in hospital by
Develop Day Hospital service Involve family in the
treatment process
4. Involve influential persons – policymakers,
politicians, in any anti-stigma campaign
5. Encourage research into issues of stigmatization
Review chapter of community mental health
Introduction to psychiatry
 What is Normal?
• Psychopathology:
Scientific study of mental, emotional, and behavioral
disorders; also refers to abnormal or maladaptive
behavior
• Subjective Discomfort:
Private feelings of discomfort, unhappiness, or
emotional distress
• Statistical Abnormality:
Abnormality defined by having extreme scores on
some dimension, such as intelligence, anxiety, or
depression
 Core Features of Abnormal Behavior

(Mental Illness)
• Maladaptive Behavior: Behavior that makes it difficult
to function, to adapt to the environment, and to meet
everyday demands
• Individuals with mental illness lose their ability to
control their thoughts, behaviors, or feelings adequately
• Mental Disorder: Significant impairment in
psychological functioning
 Psychosis-neurosis
• Mental illnesses were categorized either as a psychosis
(severe) or neurosis (less severe).

• A psychosis: impaired daily functioning because of breaks

in contact with reality. Psychoses are serious psychiatric
disturbances characterized by hallucinations and delusions,
social withdrawal
• A neurosis: was less severe, but individuals were Often
distressed about their problems as excessive anxiety,
somatoform, dissociative disorders, and some kinds of
depression
 What causes mental
illness?
•No one really knows
•Research is being carried out from diverse perspectives:
oPsychological
oBiological
oSociological

•Biological Causes
oBiochemical Disturbances (Neurochemistry)
oGenetics
oInfections- can cause brain damage
oBrain defects or injury
oPrenatal damage
oPoor nutrition, exposure to toxins

Read the biological model

• Psychological Causes:

o Severe psychological trauma suffered as a

child, such as emotional, physical or
sexual abuse
o An important early loss, such as the loss
of a parent
o Neglect
o Poor ability to relate to others
o Family dynamics—focus on family roles,
communication patterns
• Environmental Social Factors:

o Death or divorce
o A dysfunctional family life
o Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger or loneliness
o Changing jobs or schools
o Social or cultural expectations (For example, a society that
associates beauty with thinness can be a factor in the development
of eating disorders.)
o Substance abuse by the person or the person's parents
• Chronic strains in the environment
o Poor living conditions
o Dangerous neighborhoods
o Overwhelming role responsibilities
• Negative life events—stress and coping
o Natural disasters
o Unemployment
o Adjusting to new environments and roles
• Please Review chapter of Mental Health and Mental Illness
 Types of Mental Illness
• Mood Disorders
• Anxiety Disorders
• Psychotic Disorders
• Personality Disorders
• Impulse Control and Addictive Disorders
• Eating Disorders/Body Image
• Other ( Adjustment Disorders, Dissocative
Disorders, Factitious Disorders, Sexual and
Gender Disorders, Somotoform Disorders, Mental
Retardation)