Stigmatization Of Mental Health

Despite advancements in recent years, gaps in treatment for those with mental disorders persist, largely due to social suffering and stigmatization. In taking a biosocial perspective and analyzing potential solutions, a more thorough understanding of these interwoven problems might be obtained and applied to other global health disparities such as tuberculosis.
One unsettling problem is the global insufficiency in resources, especially considering the great impact mental health has on “adverse economic, social, and health outcomes” (p. 70, Becker & Kleinman, 2013). However, these factors also contribute to the disorders; social suffering and structural violence occur in that economic, cultural, and environmental factors are major contributors to ill mental health, serve as barriers to receiving treatment, and constrain individuals’ agency.

In fear of social exclusion, embarrassment, or dishonor, many patients do not seek care, leading to an underestimation of the global burden of mental health. Not only are patients affected, however; stigma is embedded in “structures, policy, and legislation,” causing a lower number of healthcare workers to enter the field (p. 171, Vigo, Thornicroft, & Atun,