The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma on Psychiatric Emergencies.

Antônio Geraldo Da Silva,Nicoli Abrão Fasanella,Leonardo Baldaçara,Antônio Pacheco Palha,Daniel A Cavalcante

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00573

Abstract

Psychiatric emergencies are severe behavioral changes secondary to worsening mental illness. Such situations present a risk to the patient and other people, so they need immediate therapeutic intervention. They are associated with feelings of fear, anger, prejudice, and even exclusion. The attitudes of professionals and factors related to the workplace culture in health can help to perpetuate stereotypes and interfere with the quality of care. Stigma has undesirable consequences in patients with mental disorders. Certain measures can reduce stigma and provide a more dignified way for patients to recover from the crisis. This article aims to discuss the causes of stigma, ways of dealing with it, and achievements that have been made in psychiatric emergency care settings.

Highlights

According to Link and Plan (2001), Erving Goffman’s book Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity (1963) stimulated the expansion of research on the causes and consequences of stigma [1]
This article aims to discuss the causes of stigma, ways of dealing with it, and achievements that have been made in psychiatric emergency care settings
We found few studies on the causes of stigma for mental illness, even less that referred to situations of psychiatric emergencies

Summary

Introduction

According to Link and Plan (2001), Erving Goffman’s book Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity (1963) stimulated the expansion of research on the causes and consequences of stigma [1]. The quality and effectiveness of mental health treatment and services have improved greatly over the past 50 years, therapeutic revolutions in psychiatry have not yet been able to reduce its stigma [2]. Psychiatric emergencies are severe behavioral changes secondary to worsening mental illness. Such situations present a risk to the patient and other people, so they need immediate therapeutic intervention [6, 7]. Such emergencies can be secondary to physical illnesses, what differs them from other emergencies is precisely the presence of severe behavioral changes

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Discussion

Conclusion