Stigma of mental illness unfair and crude
Some 20% of people are unsure they would want to live next door to someone who previously had a mental health problem, and 15% are not sure if people with mental health issues should have children.
In September, a young man with a history of mental health difficulties killed his two younger brothers, while a violent death occurred on the grounds of a psychiatric hospital.
Immediate speculation focused on the mental health difficulties of the suspected perpetrators of these acts.
There are three main obstacles to people seeking treatment for mental health issues: Lack of acknowledgment that they have a problem, lack of services, and stigma.
Awareness of mental health difficulties over the last five years has increased significantly, but services are still patchy and difficult to access.
However, stigma, resulting in people who suffer from mental health difficulties feeling shame, fear, and guilt, still remains the single biggest obstacle preventing people from seeking the help they require.
If you believe other people will view you as a failure, or as an untrustworthy parent or neighbour, or as a person capable of violence, you will be unwilling to admit that you have a mental health difficulty.
Sadly, this is the reality for many Irish people, particularly young people, who do not seek the help they require. Stigma is a contributory factor in the suicide rate of Irish young people, which is one of the highest in Europe.
Survey results issued by the Irish Examiner during the ploughing championships indicate that suicide is increasingly impacting farming communities, with one in five farmers between the ages of 35 and 44 saying they have had an immediate connection with suicide.
Social isolation and stigma are key contributors.
Given that the rates of Irish young people who experience mental health difficulties are higher than their European counterparts, it is now vital that we tackle this stigma.
We need to strengthen our legislation to ensure discrimination against people with mental health difficulties is not tolerated.
We need to run extensive and continuing public education campaigns to teach people the facts of mental health difficulties and we need to invest in a comprehensive awareness programme within schools.
We need to impress upon people that the evidence does not support these stigmatising views.
Research tells us that people who experience mental health difficulties are no more likely than those who don’t to commit a serious crime and, indeed, some research suggests that they are less likely.
Personal despair rarely transfers to violence against other people. This requires anger, premeditation and motivation; feelings not normally associated with mental health difficulties.
Seeking help for a mental health difficulty is not a sign of failure, but is, rather, a courageous step towards addressing issues that impact on one in four of the population.
Seeking help requires self-awareness, commitment, and the courage to acknowledge that there is a difficulty. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that those with mental health difficulties are poorer at parenting or are untrustworthy neighbours.
The St Patrick’s Mental Health Services research indicates that mental health difficulties impact on every family in Ireland.
Some 63% of those who responded indicated that they had a close friend who was treated for a mental health difficulty, while 44% indicated that a member of their family was previously treated.
Even though most of us are impacted upon by mental health difficulties, we still do not fully understand the nature of what causes these difficulties and how they can best be treated.
Stigmatising views not only have an impact on those experiencing mental health difficulties, they also have a major impact on their families, spouses and children.
Many of these family members are not only subjected to these types of attitudes on a daily basis, but indeed may have integrated them into their own thinking, making it difficult for them to fully trust and support the family member with the mental health difficulty.
Tackling stigma is not an easy task; however, it is worth the effort. We know that mental health difficulties have a major impact on the social and economic fabric of any country. We know that those who experience mental health difficulties, with the right support and treatment, not only can recover, but can live very enjoyable, fulfilling lives.
It is time that we, as a society, faced up to our ambivalence and prejudice towards what is one of the greatest challenges to modern society.
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