Mental Illness: Why Care ?

Mental illness: ?Why care Farrah Jarral WHO EMRO July 2005

But I don’t want to be a ……….psychiatrist

Mental health issues are a part of reality 

Mental health issues are unavoidable



It is important for us to be well informed about mental illness and to be aware of our own attitudes towards people with mental illness

We will all come into contact with mental illness at some point in our lives, in  Ourselves  Our families  Our friends  Our patients

 25% of all people will be affected by mental

and behavioural disorders in their lifetime.  1 in every 4 consultations with a General

Practitioner involve mental health issues  A fifth of all patients seen in primary health

care have one or more mental disorders.

 By 2020, mental health disorders are

expected to rank second behind heart disease.  Many countries allocate less than 1% of

their total health budgets on mental health and in half the world's countries there is just one psychiatrist per 100,000 people.

STIGMA Up to two thirds of people suffering mental disorders will never seek help because of the discrimination and stigma attached to such conditions.

?What is stigma

Literal definition - OED 

1. A mark made upon the skin by burning with a hot iron (rarely, by cutting or pricking), as a token of infamy or subjection; a brand. Also fig.

 2. fig. A mark of disgrace or infamy; a sign

of severe censure or condemnation, regarded as impressed on a person or thing; a ‘brand’

Historical stigma – 17 Century th

“Burglary was punished in all the colonies by branding with a capital B in the right hand for the first offense, in the left hand for the second, "and if either be committed on the Lord's Daye his Brand shall bee sett on his Forehead as a mark of infamy." In Maryland, every county was ordered to have branding irons, with the lettering specifically prescribed: SL stood for seditious libel and could be burned on either cheek. M stood for manslaughter, T for thief, R for rogue or vagabond, F for forger”

A mark of disgrace or infamy

Stigma is the association of negative characteristics with a certain group of people, leading to their devaluation in society, and often overt discrimination.

What is the difference between stigma and discrimination?

?Why does stigma matter

 IT STOPS PEOPLE SEEKING HELP  IT STOPS PEOPLE FROM SEEKING THE

APPROPRIATE HELP

 IT STOPS PEOPLE FROM COMPLYING

WITH TREATMENT

 FEAR OF STIGMA CAN LEAD FAMILIES

TO PREVENT ILL MEMBERS FROM SEEKING HELP

 Stigma leads to isolation, shame, guilt,

fear, sadness, embarrassment and low self-esteem  It affects not only those with mental illness, but their families as well.  It is a significant barrier to mental health in the world.  NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS MENTAL ILLNESS ARE WIDESPREAD

US Surgeon General’s Report 1999

STIGMA IS A BARRIER TO URGENT MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICANS WHO NEED IT

“As the world’s leading public health agency, WHO has one and only one option – to ensure that ours will be the last generation that allows shame and stigma to rule over science and reason” – Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland

What can we do to help in the fight against the stigma of mental ?illness In a study in Egypt which looked at people’s knowledge and attitudes towards mental illness, the two main sources of knowledge about mental illness were identified as :  THE TV  DOCTORS

www.rcpsych.ac.uk