The Stigma of Mental Illness

Corrigan argues that clinical diagnosis might exacerbate the stigma of mental illness. In Corrigan’s study clinical diagnosis adds groupness for the collection of people with mental illness which worsens the level of prejudice (Corrigan 34). Corrigan states that this ultimately leads to overgeneralization, as there is an assumption that all individuals diagnosed with the same mental disorders behave the same way (Corrigan 34). According to Corrigan the stereotypic description of mental illness perceives to the public that, people with diagnosis are not likely to recover from those disorders, which can lead to pessimistic attitudes from the public (Corrigan 35). Corrigan suggests that one of the solutions is to understand the diagnosis dimensionally rather than the traditional categorical diagnosis (Corrigan 36). Another solution Corrigan suggests is for the mental health providers to have individual contact with people who are recovered from mental disorders as they are living a life that challenges the stigma (Corrigan 36). The final solution Corrigan suggests is to replace assumptions of “poor prognosis with models of recovery” (Corrigan 37). Corrigan mainly focuses on the stigma of mental illness in independent living and work settings. One might wonder how the stigma of mental illness can influence in university settings, where the average age of people influenced is younger than people in work settings. Universities must use variations of education and contact in their initiatives in order to effectively reduce the stigma of mental illness.
This paper will examine the strategies of universities countering the stigma of mental illness and its effectiveness. I begin with the consequences and the cause of stigma of mental illnes...

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