Mental Health Month 2021 Week 2

Stephanie Weatherly, DNP, PMH RN-BC, FACHE

Chief Clinical Officer

May 10, 2021

I read a powerful statement last week that I wanted to shout from the rooftops: MENTAL ILLNESS IS NOT A CHARACTER DEFECT! There are many reasons why people develop mental illness. Some are genetic or biological. Some result from childhood trauma or overwhelming stress at school, work, or home. Some stem from environmental injustice or violence. Sometimes, we simply don't know. Regardless of the reasons, these are health problems just like cancer, arthritis, or diabetes. So why does society look at people with mental illness, including substance use disorders, differently?

The answer is Stigma. Stigma seriously affects the well-being of those who experience it. Stigma affects people while they are experiencing problems, in treatment, while they are healing, and even when their mental health problem is a distant memory. Stigma profoundly changes how people feel about themselves and how others see them.

Here are some disheartening statistics on mental health stigmas:

• Research published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior (Vol. 41, No. 2) finds that 68 percent of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness marrying into their family, and 58 percent do not want people with mental illness in their workplaces.
• Minority groups experience greater Stigma around mental illness. (Connecticut DMHAS)
• Television often portrays people with mental illness in a damaging light. (PsychCentral)

What can we do in our communities to end the Stigma?

This website offers great suggestions on our language and how to use it to reduce Stigma.

This resource is from the United Kingdom; it provides great resources for ending the Stigma around mental health.

We have the opportunity to be at the forefront of stigma changes in our community. Thank you for all you are doing to fight the Stigma!