Stigma and Mental Health Issues
(a.k.a. Mental Illness and other labels)

It’s easy to label someone else and overlook what’s really inside. When mental health labels (no longer called mental illness, by the way) like, depressed, schizophrenic, crazy, manic or hyperactive, are used in ways that are meant to put down or make fun of somone - these labels hurt.

Stigma leads to discrimination. Everyone knows why it is wrong to discriminate against people because of their race, religion, culture or appearance. They are less aware of how people with mental health issues are discriminated against.

Stigma is a barrier and discourages individuals and their families from getting the help they need due to the fear of discrimination.  An estimated 50 million Americans experience a mental disorder in any given year and only one-fourth of them actually receive mental health and other services.

What You Can Do to Reduce the Stigma

Do's

• Do use respectful language such as:
  • Person who has schizophrenia
  • Person with a psychiatric disability
  • Person with bipolar disorder
• Do emphasize abilities, not limitations.
• Do tell someone if they express a stigmatizing attitude.

Dont's

• Don’t portray successful persons with disabilities as super human.
• Don’t use generic labels such as retarded, or the mentally ill. 
• Don’t use terms like crazy, lunatic, manic depressive, slow functioning, or normal.

Knowledge is "power".  More reasons why reducing stigma is important.

Stigma discourages people from getting help. At any given time, one in four adults and one in five children experience a mental health problem. Early and appropriate services can be the best way to prevent illness from getting worse. Many people don’t seek such services because they don’t want to be labeled as  “mentally ill” or “crazy.”

Stigma keeps people from getting good jobs and advancing in the workplace. Some employers are reluctant to hire people who have mental illnesses. Thanks to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) such discrimination is illegal. But it still happens! 

Stigma leads to fear, mistrust, and violence. Even though the vast majority of people who have mental illnesses are no more violent than anyone else the average television viewer sees three people with mental illnesses each week – and most of them are portrayed as violent. Such inaccurate portrayals lead people to fear those who have mental illnesses.