How to Recognize and Reduce Mental Health Stigma
Although mental health stigma has declined over the last year, it is still a major issue. Here are some ideas on how to recognize and reduce it.
Mental health stigma affects how we perceive psychiatric disorders. It also affects self-esteem and progress in mental health treatment. This post contains more information about mental health stigma and how to reduce it.
Definition of Stigma
I’m sure most of you have heard about mental health stigma and know what it is. For those of you who do not know much about it, here is the definition of stigma by Mayo Clinic.
Stigma is when someone views you in a negative way because you have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that’s thought to be, or actually is, a disadvantage (a negative stereotype).
Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness (Mayo Clinic)
My Recent Observations about Stigma
Now that you know the definition of stigma, I will explain the reason I’m writing about this topic. A few days ago, I heard several people talking about a man who had a mental illness. They used labels like irresponsible, crazy, incompetent, stupid/r*******, etc. Even though I knew they were not talking about me, their…
