Stigma, negative attitudes and discrimination towards mental illness: stigma as a predictor of service access, treatment and social integration

Abstract

Mental disorders have a high prevalence that is increasing, according to WHO mental disorders are among the leading causes of disease worldwide, accounting for around 6.2% of the total disease burden as measured in DALYs. People with mental illness are subject to discrimination which impacts most areas of their lives. These forms of social exclusion occur at home, at work, in personal life, in social activities, in healthcare and in the media. The purpose of this paper is to reflect the impact of Stigma on people with mental illness related to access to psychiatric services, treatment and its consequences for the individual and society. From the literature review we will examine how stigma affected access to services, diagnosis and treatment of people with mental illness as well as the impact of stigma on some aspects of their lives. The article begins by overviewing the statistics with regards to mental disorders as important causes of disability issued by the main world health authority, continues with the definition of stigma and reflecting on the attitude of the general public towards mental illness and the role of the media as a mediating factor. It then looks at some of the practical implications of the discrimination and prejudice that arise out of stigma, particularly in respect of use of the health care system and the cost of not seeking help. Finally, an overview is provided on what is known to date about the effectiveness of different approaches that have been adopted or might in future be adopted to effectively tackle stigma.