• The Effects of Stigma and Discrimination and the Impact
on the Rights of Individuals with Mental Illness and their Families.
...The impact of stigma and discrimination on a person with a mental illness is a major obstacle in a person’s recovery. It can contribute to the person not seeking mental health care, or to the development of poor self esteem to not seeking or being able to sustain employment, or to development of educational goals. In addition to not having meaningfull relationships or having adequate housing, and lacking community and social support. Discrimination blights the lives of many people with mental illness, making marriage, childcare, work and a normal social life much more difficult. When people understand and accept that mental disorders are not the result of moral failings or limited will power,but are legitimate illnesses that are responsive to specific treatments, much of the negative stereotyping may dissipate.
• The Impact on Family and Caregivers
...As a person begins treatment and recovery, the emotional support of family and friends is vital. There continues to be a cultural mindset that blames people with mental illness and the families who raised them. These attitudes influence the way family members are treated by mental health professionals. Families are not the cause of mental illness, but they can be part of the solution. Their intervention and support can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.
...Unfortunately, families are also victims of stigma known as “stigma by association”. Stigma creates a cycle of discrimination and social exclusion for those who suffer from a mental disorder and all of those who are associated with them. Public embarrassment, loss of face and fear of community reactions are some of the signs of families who are victims of stigma that inhibit them from taking the necessary steps to deal with mental illness. Stigma is the single most important barrier to quality of life of mental health consumers and family members—more so than the illness itself—and a major impediment to mental health reform and development. As the majority of people with a mental illness are now treated in community settings, negative public opinions can have potent consequences for them and their families. Stigma and the expectation of stigma can also produce serious disruptions in family relationships and reduce normal social interactions due to a desire for secrecy.
• The Impact on Education
...As Education is fundamental for child development and for preparing them for normal adjustment to their environment and their life. Access to a public education is one of the fundamental civil rights.
...In California, in 2001 up to 864,000 children diagnosed with emotional disorders did not receive the services that they need because of stigma and discrimination. Parents of children who need these services are rarely informed of their children’s rights to special educational services, to which their children are entitled by law. Children are also subject to violence and bullying at school because of stigma and discrimination. Bullying behavior is an ongoing pattern of physical and/or psychological aggression that is threatening and can leave the victim feeling powerless.
...University students are presenting mental health issues with greater frequency and complexity. Transition-age youth and adults also experience barriers to educational access because of stigma and discrimination. Racial and ethnic minority students, gay and lesbian students and graduate students are at particularly high risk because of the multiple challenges they face. Students have unique mental health needs and at some point in time they may have trouble functioning. The lack of mental health services in higher educational institutions results in inappropriate support for students, who are faced with significant developmental challenges, emotional stressors and mental health risks. In addition, they can develop mental health issues and substance abuse issues, making them more vulnerable to poor educational outcomes, other mental health risks, and most concerning, depression and suicide.
• The Impact on Housing
...Adequate and affordable housing is essential in providing the basic foundation of a safe home and is a human right for all. Stigma and discrimination create serious barriers for safe, quality housing.
...Homelessness is one of the major consequences of stigma and is also a result of the poverty caused by mental illness. Landlords frequently discriminate by refusing to rent to individuals and families because of a perceived mental illness. Eviction is also a possibility when the person is unable to pay for their housing due to their inability to work regularly because of their illness or the extensive needs of children with emotional disorders.
• The Impact on Employment
...Stigma and discrimination in employment contribute significantly to the extremely high rate of unemployment among persons with mental illness. The stigma of employment of people with mental health disabilities is greater than with other disability groups. Adults who are parents of children with serious emotional disturbance also encounter difficulty obtaining and retaining employment. Employers are reluctant to hire a worker with a family member who may compete for the worker’s time and energy. Many employers are also reluctant to accommodate a parent who needs to miss work to attend treatment sessions and other meetings to address the special needs of his or her family. Despite the barriers and persistently high rates of unemployment, research shows that people with mental illness can be successfully employed at all levels.
...Working is a successful strategy for reducing stigma and discrimination, highly valued for its potential to generate financial independence, social status, to reduce isolation and increase opportunities for personal achievement and contribution to the community. Paid employment has been found to reduce the symptoms of mental illness.
...A severe lack of awareness and understanding often creates misperceptions about persons with mental illnesses. The following example is the life experience of a person struggling with mental illness and the stigma she has experienced. An individual who has confronted prejudice and discrimination, but, who with help and hope, has experienced recovery. It is a journey that inspires others and helps to understand that mental illnesses are real, common, treatable, and that recovery is possible.
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...MHSA PROP 63
