Mental Illness Stigma in Australia: An HNB2105 Essay Analysis

This essay examines the pervasive issue of stigma surrounding mental illness in Australia, addressing its impact on individuals and outlining strategies for intervention. It begins by defining stigma and discrimination, highlighting historical factors, types, and causes, and emphasizing the prevalence of mental health disorders in the Australian population. The essay then explores the effects of stigma, including reduced self-esteem, social isolation, barriers to treatment, and negative impacts on personal relationships and employment opportunities. It references legislative frameworks and standards, such as Australia’s National Framework for Human Rights, and discusses the role of mental health nurses in reducing discrimination and stigma through education, advocacy, and therapeutic relationships. The consumer and carer perspectives are integrated, alongside a consideration of current and future mental health nursing practices and research implications, providing a comprehensive analysis of this critical public health concern.

Running Head: SI 0
Stigma issues
Essay
APRIL 5, 2020
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[Company address]

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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

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67 per cent stated it being cooperative in providing healthier support, additional
understanding, and smaller amount stress (Peel et al., 2017).
The main motives for not revealing were discomfiture, fear of discernment, and
anxiety about how the revelation would influence on job prospects. Stigma might subsidise to
emotional state of awkwardness and disgrace, which might decline the probability of seeking
support, increase mental distress, and decrease treatment obedience. ‘Diagnostic overriding’,
in which individuals with sadness and worry receive inferior bodily healthcare compared to
others, can similarly be accredited to stigma. These undesirable significances may subsidize
the augmented risk of self harm or suicide and the advanced mortality rates among
individuals with mental health issues (Knaak et al., 2017).
Australia’s National Framework for Human Rights is developed to reduce the
discernment and stigma experienced by individuals with mental illness. Under this
framework, different Initiatives are proposed such as Mind Matters. It is A Psychological
Health Promotion Programme for the Secondary Schools, and Kids of Parents reported to
have Mental Illness, emphasis on persons and groups in the communal with specific mental
health requirements (Commonwealth of Australia, 2005). A number of data resources
intended at the public have been formed to deal with the high level of misinterpretation about
mental health difficulties and decrease the stigma of adjacent mental illness. They are
different Telephone line support and web-based data facilities that have also been established
to deliver easily available and after-hours facilities for all individuals with a psychological
ailment and those at high risk of self-harm or suicide and their relatives, carers, and friends
(Walters et al., 2018). There are different standards are mentioned in the nationwide practice
standards for the psychological health workforce in 2013.

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The health promotion and prevention standards describe that mental health
promotions are the main part of all the mental health work. According to which the health
care providers are required to address the social determinants of health and risk, and reduce
the stigma and discrimination in a healthcare setting (Victorian Government Department of
Health, 2013). Mental health nurses can play a key in the implementation of this framework
and standards in a health care setting and community. They report any discrimination and
stigma experienced by individuals with mental illness. They can educate the people who
experienced stigma and their families about reporting such incidence to the higher authority.
They can also educate them about their rights and opportunities. Nurses are equipped with
different skills like effective communication, having cultural knowledge, advocacy, etc.
which help them to develop a therapeutic relationship with them and increase their
involvement in reporting stigma issues.
In conclusion, stigma issues arise when a person views another individual in an
unfavorable way due to their uniqueness in characteristics. Stigma can impact individuals
with mental illness negatively. It can cause a feeling of shame, hopelessness and social
isolation. It also makes the person reluctant to seek help or get essential treatment. It can also
affect personal relationships, and reduce the opportunities for employment. National
framework for human rights proposed initiatives like mind matter to reduce equality and
reduce stigma. The health promotion and prevention standard allows the health professional
to reduce stigma in the healthcare setting or community. nurses can educate the patient and
their families to report such issues, and support the implementation of framework and
standards.

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References
Commonwealth of Australia (2005). Australia’s National Framework for Human Rights:
Action plan. Retrieved from:
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/NHRA/Australia-NHRAP2004.pdf
Fokuo, J. K., Goldrick, V., Rossetti, J., Wahlstrom, C., Kocurek, C., Larson, J., & Corrigan,
P. (2017). Decreasing the stigma of mental illness through a student-nurse mentoring
program: A qualitative study. Community mental health journal, 53(3), 257-265.
Healthdirect (2018). Mental illness. Retrieved from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-
illness
Knaak, S., Mantler, E., & Szeto, A. (2017). Mental illness-related stigma in healthcare:
Barriers to access and care and evidence-based solutions. In Healthcare management
forum (Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 111-116). Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.
Michaels, P. J., López, M., Rüsch, N., & Corrigan, P. W. (2017). Constructs and concepts
comprising the stigma of mental illness. Psychology, Society, & Education, 4(2), 183-
194.
Morgades-Bamba, C. I., Fuster-Ruizdeapodaca, M. J., & Molero, F. (2017). The impact of
stigma on subjective well-being in people with mental disorders. Clinical
schizophrenia & related psychoses.
Peel, R., Buckby, B., & McBain, K. A. (2017). Comparing the effect of stigma on the
recognition of suicide risk in others between Australia and Brazil. GSTF Journal of
Psychology, 3(2), 1-10.
Rodger, D. (2019). Impact of stigma on the care of postpartum women with severe mental
illness. Evidence-based nursing, ebnurs-2018.

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SANE Australia (2013). A life without stigma. Retrieved from: A life without stigma
Stuart, H. (2016). Reducing the stigma of mental illness. Global Mental Health, 3.
Victorian Government Department of Health (2013). National practice standards for the
mental health workforce 2013. Retrieved from: National practice standards for the
mental health workforce 2013
Walters, R., Mavcic, A., & Harvey, M. (2018). Human Rights Law: Australia and
Slovenia. Liverpool Law Review, 39(3), 197-219.