Steps Towards Change

Living with a mental health issue isn’t easy, that’s for sure. I think we can all agree that if there were some way we could all help alleviate the struggle of living with a mental illness, then we’d get right on board with it. As mentioned time and time again, mental illness stigma is just one of those burdens that should not have to weigh further upon mentally ill individuals. So let’s do something about it! Let’s stand up for these silent sufferers. Let’s pave a way forward that sheds light and hope for recovery, rather than an embittered sense of hopelessness. Although we’ve already touched upon some of these points before, let’s delve a bit deeper into just how we can fight mental illness stigma in our communities!

1. Educate yourself and others about mental illness

As the age-old adage goes, “ignorance breeds contempt”. Indeed people fear the unknown, and this is particularly true of mental illness. Generally speaking, most people don’t have the facts surrounding mental health issues packed down right and the information they do possess is often misconstrued. To effectively combat this, make efforts to educate yourself and others on mental health issues. There are plenty of great resources online that can equip you with the knowledge you need to support those around you battling mental illness, as well as ways to improve your own mental health:

Beyond Blue - An independent not-for-profit organisation working to increase awareness and understanding of anxiety and depression in Australia to reduce the associated stigma: http://www.beyondblue.org.au/

SANE - Aims to help all Australians affected by a mental illness to lead a better life: https://www.sane.org/

Mental Health First Aid Australia - A national not-for-profit organisation focused on mental health training and research: https://mhfa.com.au/

Students Passionate About Mental Health - a group of medical students at the University of Western Australia dedicated to raising awareness about the link between mental health, general health and wellbeing: http://www.wamss.org.au/projects/students-passionate-about-mental-health/

Headspace - The National Youth Mental Health Foundation: http://www.headspace.org.au/

Black Dog Institute - dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by mood disorders through our high quality translational research, our clinical expertise and our national education programs: http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

2. If you’ve been affected by a mental illness, share your story!

Sharing your experience with others will help to tear down the wall that separates the known from the unknown. Contact with people suffering from a mental illness is one of the most effective means of overcoming mental illness stigma. By letting others know what it is like to suffer from a mental illness and the struggles associated with the stigma often attached to it, people will be able to better empathise and be more understanding.

3. Don’t reduce people to labels

Instead of identifying someone based on their diagnosis, see them as real people. Sure they may be suffering from a mental illness but that doesn’t define them, nor should it. If you hear others labelling someone else because of their condition, speak up against it. Hurtful words and stereotypes only make it harder for people suffering a mental illness to speak out about their condition and seek the help they need. Together we can work towards cultivating an environment whereby mentally ill people can openly speak up about their struggle without fear of being labelled and judged.

4. Challenge media stereotypes

If you see any negative stereotypes of mentally ill people in the media, speak up against it - write letters to your local MP, newspaper and TV or radio stations. Challenge others around you to not take these stereotypes at face value, but to seriously consider whether these representations are fair and accurate or derogatory and unhelpful. If people take the time to stop and think about just what these stereotypes entail, then perhaps they will begin to appreciate just how unfair and unproductive they are and instead make efforts to eradicate them from our communities.

5. Support people with mental health issues

Love and care for those struggling with mental health issues. What they are going through is hard enough as it is, let alone with all the added stigma heaped on top. Try to imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes and support them with encouraging, positive words. Include them in all aspects of life, don’t exclude them simply because of their condition. If they are willing to talk about their struggles with you, provide them with an open, non-judgemental, listening ear. Encourage them to view their illness as something they can overcome, rather than something that will define their life. People suffering from a mental illness should not have to face their condition alone.

Challenges for the Future...

The road towards a world where mental illness stigma is non-existent will be long, hard, and by no means achieved overnight, however we need to start somewhere and that somewhere starts with you. To be effective, our anti-stigma interventions must expand beyond simply changing the public’s knowledge, perception and attitudes towards the mentally ill. These changes must translate into better experiences on behalf of those affected because if this newfound knowledge and appreciation for the struggle of mental illness stigma is not put into practice, our advocacy becomes redundant. Measuring shifting attitudes and resultant changes in public perceptions will also prove to be a future challenge, if at all a shift in attitude occurs. The prejudice that runs against the mentally ill is deeply rooted within our society and peoples’ attitudes and beliefs don’t budge that easily. It will take time before a cultural shift in such attitudes is evident. However that is not to say that we should not expect to see improvements in the health outcomes of mentally ill individuals over time. Indeed we should aspire to cultivate an environment whereby the release from mental illness stigma is such that individuals actively seek out treatment and are lovingly supported. There is hope. This is within our reach. So let’s all do our part to actively challenge mental illness stigma! Perhaps then the tide will turn, and with it, wipe yet another obstacle on the road to recovery. It all starts here.

References

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Corrigan PW, Druss BG, Perlick DA. The impact of mental illness stigma on seeking and participating in mental health care. Psychol Sci Public Interest [Internet]. 2014 [cited 2015 Apr 6];15(2):37-70. Available from: SagePub

Corrigan PW. Target-specific stigma change: A strategy for impacting mental illness stigma. Psychiatr Rehabil J [Internet]. 2004 [cited 2015 Apr 6];28(2):113-121. Available from: PubMed

Dinos S, Stevens S, Serfaty M, Weich S, King M. Stigma: the feelings and experiences of 46 people with mental illness. Brit J Psychiat [Internet]. 2004 [cited 2015 Apr 4];184(2):176-181. Available from: PubMed

Reavley NJ, Jorm AF. Stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental disorders: findings from an Australian National Survey of Mental Health Literacy and Stigma. Aust N Z J Psychiatry [Internet]. 2011 [cited 2015 Apr 6];45(12):1086-1093. Available from: PubMed

Sieff E. Media frames of mental illnesses: The potential impact of negative frames. J Ment Health [Internet]. 2003 [cited 2015 Apr 7];12(3):259-269. Available from: Informa