Mental Health Stigma In Schools

Many students with mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety experience stigma both in and out of the classroom setting. This is an important problem to resolve because mental health stigma in schools can directly affect students’ academic success. If a student is struggling with a hidden disability it is possible that it may be impeding on their ability to perform adequately (Coduti, Hayes, Locke, & Youn, 2016). There is a disconnect between students and professors that often occurs throughout the academic year. As a result of this disconnect, students’ state of mental health, which should be a priority, is often neglected. Students should feel comfortable approaching their professors regarding their mental health state the same …show more content…
This is important to note because stigma surrounding mental health affects performance in school which can lead to unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms. The study also mentions, “reducing perceived stigma is likely to improve the self-esteem and psychological well-being of people with mental disorders” (p.537). Their study included an online survey that randomly sampled students from 13 universities in the United States. Based on the responses, the researchers found a positive correlation between depressive symptoms and perceived stigma around mental health. This study supports our goal of reducing mental health stigma and highlights the importance of open communication between students and …show more content…
When mapping out this project we recognized the importance of breaking past the barriers of our major. Mental health stigma is most salient to psychology courses. However, it is often neglected within other departments despite the fact that support is needed by all students who attend CSUMB. Mental health stigma comes in many forms including prejudice attitudes, discrimination and skewed perception of mental health. CSUMB professor Mrinal Sinha recently held an optional workshop for professors of all departments on microaggression through the office of inclusive excellence. This workshop focused on the use of the Implicit-Association Test bringing light to the implicit attitudes one possesses towards stigmatized behaviors (Swanson, Swanson, & Greenwald, 2001). Efforts need to be made to continue the discussion of mental health among faculty. This project was created to maintain a safe environment for students and to prevent situations, such as being exposed for their need of accommodations. Students should be given equal opportunity to succeed throughout their academic career regardless of their