Historically, individuals with mental illness or other illnesses such as physical or developmental disability and drug abuse have been isolated and stigmatized from mainstream society. Research has shown that these attitudes can directly impact the well-being of an individual and his or her ability to cope with the illness. Negative attitudes, including stigma and stereotypes, can provide a great impediment to the delivery of beneficial health care and an individual’s own perceptions about themselves and own ability to recover (Boyle et al., 2010).
