It is argued by many that a rigorously standardised system of mental health classification forms an essential role in conceptualising a patient’s problem, predicting the treatments which are most likely to be effective, and in conducting valid scientific research in order to help others who have similar problems. On the other hand, many others consider psychiatric diagnoses to be no more than a label, which lacks scientific and predictive legitimacy and serves only to stigmatise and trivialise those who suffer from mental disorders. Medicalisation of society is a reality which must be accepted and as such this does not only concern mental health but also many broader implications and dangers, and it is therefore a divisive yet imperative issue. …show more content…
This is indicated by author and psychologist Thomas J. Scheff in 1966 who stated that “the stigma of being labelled mentally ill actually causes one to be mentally ill as a result of effects” this extract from Scheff’s ‘Being Mentally Ill’, shows how Scheff challenged common perceptions of mental illness by claiming that mental illness is manifested solely as a result of societal influence and linked it to the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is important to note however that there are considered two kinds of mental health labelling ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ labelling. Hard labelling refers to the idea that there is categorically no such thing as mental illness what so ever and that mental illness should simply be categorised as a slight deviance from societal norms. Soft labelling on the other hand is the belief that mental illness’ do exist and are not entirely socially constructed concepts however this theory still implies that labelling amplifies the effect of the condition due to …show more content…
This of course implies that doctors and psychiatrists work as the feeble minded pawns of these big business’ and that they have successfully managed to brainwash society into considering that something as natural as an emotional reaction could potentially be a serious, lifelong mental health condition in need of urgent treatment; which they are of course happy to ‘cure’ with copious amounts of spurious medication. Of course pharmaceutical companies would argue this is entirely false in fact the UK’s biggest pharma company ‘GlaxoSmithKline’ promotes a mission statement which admirably declares “Our mission is to help people do more, feel better, live longer.” Yet GlaxoSmithKline has been involved in multiple scandals regarding corruption, with the company bribing medical practitioners in order for their product to be promoted, these scandals occurred from not only the US in 2012 but also China in 2013 with fresh allegations in 2014 from
Corrigan, Watson and Ottati (2003) argue this strong stigma has legitimized a historically inequitable system of treatment for those with mental illness. As far back as the Middle Ages, the mentally ill were sent to prisons because they were perceived as dangerous. Beginning in the 19th century, they were transitioned to asylums and hospitals due to the widely held belief that they were not only dangerous, but also i...
...us advances in this field, while we still consider it a stigma even to be referred to a psychiatrist. Mental illness is just another biological or sociological problem, which needs to be dealt with on time, before it’s too late, by a specialist.
A physician has an unenviable position; he is closest to man approaching a god-like stature. And despite the demise of 'doctor knows best', we still need to trust his diagnosis-something that is increasingly difficult in a world where information is widely available, and Google substitutes for a doctor. In the case of psychiatry the issue of trust is amplified since diagnosis is based on a patient's expressed thoughts and overt behaviours rather than solely on biological phenomena. And these thoughts and behaviours are influenced by the patient's environment-a mix of his social, cultural and technological experiences.
(The Open University, 2015b). Looking at the language used in mental health and how this can change and shape people’s perspectives, for instance, the term ‘patient’ indicates that a person is ill. Once again this is taking on a biomedical approach, and the biomedical perspective are a result of physical or chemical malfunction in the brain (The Open University, 2015c) There are debates over the language used within mental health on how to refer to people, moving towards the terms ‘service user’ or ‘client’ which takes the focus away from an illness and more of a service being given and
The Modified Labelling Theory, created by Link et al., (1989) hypothesized that individuals who were labeled as mentally ill, would manage the stigma they faced through three coping mechanisms; education, withdrawal and secrecy (as cited in Ray & Brooks Dollar, 2014). The Modified Labelling Theory is a credible theory that has been used to approach not only the repercussions of stigma in mental illness, but also to explain behaviours of those who smoke, live with HIV/AIDS, or have a child with a disability (Ray & Brooks Dollar,
Thoit, Link, Bruce G., and Jo C. Phelan. "Labeling and Stigma." Handbook of the sociology of mental health. Springer Netherlands, 2013. 525-541.
Throughout her presentation, she explains how public stigmas, once again, cause label avoidance pushing many who need help away from treatment. She then goes on to explain how these stereotyped behaviors cause discrimination towards people with a mental illness from employment to housing which only leads to the creation of more stigmas. Finally, she states how the impact of stigmas is associated with the reduction of self-esteem, overall poor health, and problems with interpersonal relationships (Willits). By using this presentation I am able to connect what we have learned about mental health stigmas to my article. First off, for example, Morris explains how psychiatric units invoke people to imagine a frightening place where insane patients are strapped down and poked and prodded for care (Morris). This stereotypical idea relates to how Willits described general stereotypes associated with mental illness such as crazy and dangerous (Willits). On top of that, Willits explained how these stigmas have negative consequences for patients (Willits). This relates to Morris’s explanation on how the stigma around institutions has caused these units to shut down forcing many people to be homeless or live in jail
As humans when we are faced with any psychological or emotional problems, our initial thought is to turn to a therapist, doctor or any other health practitioners. Our initial thought when we are faced with problems regarding our health is to turn to a health professional because for ages that’s how it has been. When it comes to our health, health professionals nowadays do more harm than help. Many might disagree, but often patients are misdiagnosed with mental illnesses they do not have. Misdiagnosis occurs when a therapist or other health practitioners decide that a patient is suffering from a condition that he or she may not be suffering with. When misdiagnosed, patients are given unnecessary treatment, which could potentially
Law Commission, 'Criminal Liability: Insanity and Automatism', (Discussion Paper) para 1.61, citing/referring to; N Sartorius, “Stigma of Mental Illness: A Global View” in L B Cottler (ed), 'Mental Health in Public Health: the Next 100 Years' (2011) p 213-222 & H Schulze, 'Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness: A Report from a Global Programme of the World Psychiatric Association' (2005)
Race, by definition, refers to biological characteristics of individuals as reflected in their physical appearance (Lyndonna Marrast, David U. Himmelstein, and Steffie Woolhandler, 2016) Contrary to popular race, the concept of race is not something that is intrinsic to human nature; in other words, it is an aspect of society that has been socially constructed with the intention of separation and segregation. Usually, those that are placed into racial categories are associated with certain prejudices and biases that are the result of multiple stereotypes that are perpetuated in our society; for example, there are multiple stigmas of African Americans in today’s society. As a result, this has allowed for the development of a specific way of
...cts of policies such as; personalisation of community mental health services (Social Care Institute of Excellence, 2009), integrated care and based of the assumption that people are living longer; the progress that could be possible for treatments and patient outcomes through the Government’s Dementia Challenge (Department of Health, 2014). Furthermore, although the explanations and treatments of mental illnesses have come a long way, attitudes have been slower to change. A Time to Change survey showed an overall 3.6% improvement in public attitudes between 2008 and 2012 (Time to Change, 2012), (The Guardian , 2013) and (BBC, 2013). But, now that the promotion of mental health awareness is firmly on the agenda and if government invests appropriately in research, we could soon to see innovative and positive advances on the way we explain and treat mental illnesses.
Mental health is a crucial part of our being and has a profound effect on how we live our lives. It determines how we socialize, how we reason, how we deal with our emotions, and how we handle stress; and when impaired and/or neglected, it can have crippling effects on the way in which we function on a cognitive or even physical level. Anyone can become susceptible to mental illness or compromised mental well-being. However, throughout history mental health has often been overlooked by society and mental illness, in particular, has been long stigmatized. This has left many of those affected untreated, poorly treated, destitute, and even outcast from society. Through education and the changing attitudes of society, mental health treatment has
Moreover, the labeling perspective on mental illness... was first formulated decades ago, when mental hospitals were the predominant type of care for persons with mental health problems… Patients were described as undergoing a moral career, which involved the loss of all previous roles because of the way mental health care was structured, and which finally lead to a so-called spoiled identity, the result being that reintegration in society was very difficult, if not impossible (Verhaeghe et al.
In the article Issues and Controversies says, "Throughout most of human history, people with mental illness were ostracized, isolated, and persecuted." ( Infobase,1) This belief system can give causation of mental illness in different cultures and such influences in a community will always be in a negative manner. Various societies struggle with the notion of mental health. The standards of every culture believe to be considered normal, natural, or healthy. These views lead to disagreements about the causes, diagnosis, and the treatment of the disorders. Many people with mental problems are discriminated against because of their mental disorder. Mental illness and stigma refers to the view of the person with mental illness as having undesirable traits. Stigma leads to negative behavior, stereotyping, and discriminatory behavior towards the person with mental health issues. This stigma causes the affected person to experience denial or shame of their condition. Perceived stigma can result in the patient being scared to seek help. Stigma can be divided into two perspectives, public and self stigma. Upadhyay says, "Public stigma occurs when the general
Doward, J. (2013), Medicine's big new battleground: does mental illness really exist? The Observer 12 May.