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We still stigmatize mental illness, and that needs to stop
By Nessa Ghassemi-Bakhtiari, PhD Student, Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Valerie A. Lapointe, PhD student in psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM),
A stereotype is a mental shortcut we use to categorize individuals. When stereotypes are integrated into the way we think, they are often used to judge or evaluate people.
That’s what we call prejudice . And discrimination stems from these two processes and is generally expressed through behaviours (like refusing to help someone in need because they seem to be mentally unstable).
This raises the question as to where misconceptions about mental illness come from, and why so many people still hold them.
Often, the representations of people with mental illness we have are based on portrayals from film or television which frequently exaggerate stereotypes and negative attributes for the sake of entertainment.
Because media outlets constitute a major source of information on mental illnesses, wrongful or inaccurate portrayals become the model we integrate as we learn about them. In fact, a recent study demonstrated that negative social media posts and news reports increase stigmatizing attitudes . The study also indicated that the opposite is equally true — media outlets can reduce stigma by sharing positive reports and posts about mental illness.
It’s important to hold media accountable in the way it depicts mental illness and recognize its value as a tool to promote awareness and rectify misconceptions.
We must reconsider how we refer to mental illness in our everyday language — the use of terms like crazy, psycho, insane or retarded in casual conversations are harmful. These terms not only contribute to the stigma, but also trivialize the suffering of people living with mental illnesses.
Even as researchers and future psychologists, we are not immune to integrated stereotypes that contribute to the stigmatization of mental illness. Just like everyone else, we must remain conscious of our own biases and work on deconstructing the automatic and often unconscious judgements we make about mental illness. Professionals in the field need to remain informed about updated evidence-based treatments , while researchers must work on communicating relevant research results to the public in accessible ways.
It’s important to recognize that change doesn’t happen overnight. This, however, does not mean it is a lost cause.
Valerie A. Lapointe receives funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC) and the Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada (CRSH). She is affiliated with the psychology and the sexology department of the University of Quebec in Montreal.
Nessa Ghassemi-Bakhtiari is affiliated with the psychology department at the University of Quebec in Montreal.
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