Stigma forces many to suffer in silence

Harmful attitudes must be changed to level the playing field for people with mental illness

by Fabien Gagnon, MD, D.Psy, FRCPC
Editor-in-Chief

Nuts. Psycho. Freak. Loony. Weird. These words are among some of the most common derogatory terms used by adolescents when referring to people with mental illness, according to a recent study of 14-year-old students in England published in the June edition of BMC Health Services Research.[1]

The use of negative labels to identify a person living with mental illness has helped to keep stigma alive in our society. The imagery behind these words only serves to bolster beliefs the public may have that people with mental illness are deviant, deranged and dangerous.

Stigma is about disrespect and social disapproval. And it’s about time it stopped. It is completely unacceptable to use such hurtful terms when referring to someone with cancer or a physical impairment. Why aren’t people with mental illness shown the same compassion?

To celebrate Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), we dedicate this edition of Canadian Psychiatry Aujourd’hui to the issue of
stigma and its impact on people with mental illness, as well as those who treat them.

Dr. Rajendra Persaud, a consultant psychiatrist at the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals in the United Kingdom and the Gresham Professor for the Public Understanding of Psychiatry, comments on the negative perception contemporary culture tends to have toward psychiatry and psychiatrists.

The four courageous Canadians of the MIAW 2007 Face Mental Illness campaign are introduced.

We also hear from stigma researcher and psychiatric epidemiologist Dr. Heather Stuart on the effect that media portrayals of mental illness and its treatments has on people with mental illness.

We hope this issue of Aujourd’hui serves as a call to action. Individuals with a mental health issue experience stigma in all areas of their life—housing, loans, health insurance, employment.

Most damaging is that the fear of rejection and discrimination discourages individuals and their families from getting the help they need.

One in five Canadians of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures will personally experience a mental illness during their lifetime.[2] It’s time we changed people’s attitudes about mental illness.

As always, we welcome your views and comments. Happy reading.

References
1. Rose, D., Thornicroft, G., Pinfold, V., Kassam, A. “250 labels used to stigmatise people with mental illness." BMC Health Services Research. 2007, 7:97.

2. Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC). Quick Facts: Mental Illness & Addiction in Canada. Guelph: MDSC, 2006.

© Copyright 2007. Canadian Psychiatry Aujourd'hui. All rights reserved.

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