Stigma Issues | Essay | Assignment

Running Head: SI 0
STIGMA ISSUES
Essay
APRIL 5, 2020
[COMPANY NAME]
[Company address]

SI 1
Stigma
Stigma is when somebody views a person in an undesirable way as he or she has a
unique characteristic or individual trait that is supposed to be, or really is, a weakness (a
negative stereotype). Inappropriately, negative behaviors and beliefs toward individuals who
have a psychological health condition are usual. Stigma happens when a person defines
somebody by their illness instead of who they are as a person (Michaels et al., 2017). For
instance, they might be considered ‘psychotic’ instead of ‘an individual experiencing
psychosis’. For persons with psychological health problems, the societal stigma and the
discrimination they face can make their issues worse, making it difficult to recover (Stuart,
2016). This particular essay will discuss the effects of stigma on persons with mental illness
and different strategies are obtainable to combat this problem in Australia
It has been reported that1 in every five Australians (about four million individuals)
diagnosed with a mental illness in a year, and nearly half the residents have diagnosed with a
psychological disorder at some stage in their life. Some of the common mental disorders
include depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder. Mental illness can be the reason for
stigma and discrimination, which became two of the main problems for an individual with
these disorders. Up to one in ten individuals with mental illness decease by suicide
(Healthdirect, 2018). According to a survey conducted by SANE Australian (2013) nearly
three-quarters of participants with a mental health illness (74 percent) had experienced
stigma. Around 40 per cent Individuals living with psychotic issues like schizophrenia, had
stigma or discrimination in the last one year.
Individuals with psychological health difficulties experience several different kinds of
stigma. Stigma can permeate the lives of individuals with psychological health difficulties in
many different ways. According to different studies it “reduces self-esteem and raids

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individuals of social opportunities”. This can comprise being deprived of opportunities for
example employment or housing due to their ailment. Stigma in the type of social isolation
has been detected when individuals are reluctant to associate with an individual with mental
ailment (Morgades-Bamba et al., 2017). The person assumes they will be excluded
communally and so be certain of they are not valued. This can upsurge isolation from the
community and strengthen feelings of elimination and social withdrawal. numerous
individuals with mental health difficulties say that the main barricade to getting back on
previous health status is not the indications of illness, but the behaviors of other individuals”.
Stigma can be a barricade to looking for early treatment; frequently individuals will not
pursue professional support until their signs have become serious. Others disengage from
facilities or therapeutic intercessions or stop taking medicine, all of which can source
deterioration and delay recovery (Rodger, 2019).
The utmost impact seems to be connected to personal relationships and jobs. in
relations where it is informal to bodily distance oneself from somebody with the depression
or anxiety, individuals will be evaded ‐ for instance, friends may not make interaction and
companies will not hire somebody with depression or worry. Stigma might unfavorably affect
individual associations, with research signifying that some of the utmost levels of stigma
experienced by individuals with depression are from the family associates and friends. The
stigma and discrimination linked with depression and worry is an important blockade to
joining in employment (Fokuo et al., 2017). Stigma might be presented in various different
ways within offices. This can comprise depression and anxiety indications being interpreted
as signs of indolence or ineffectiveness, which can subsidize individuals feeling disgraceful
about their involvement. Stigma also disheartens individuals from revealing a mental health
disorder to employers. An Australian study stated that 57 per cent of individuals with a
psychological health illness had revealed their condition to a manager, and of these, around