With statements such as “I’m so stressed I’m going to kill myself”, or “I did so bad on my test, I’m so depressed” being made into every day phrases, it seems as though there is an alarming lack of education surrounding mental illnesses and the severity of them. While these statements can be heard in almost any high school, and with teen suicide rates “have more than tripled since the 1950’s” (King et.al, 2012) there is a lack of programs available in high school’s dealing with mental illnesses.
An accumulating and alarming lack of awareness protrudes among members of society on mental health, including the population in general, patients themselves, and their family, friends, and even schools who are dealing with mental illness, perhaps on …show more content…
These illnesses can affect one’s mood, thinking, and behavior (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). In addition, according to Merriam-Webster, a stigma is “a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or a group of people have about something” (Merriam-Webster, 2016). Therefore, a stigma regarding mental health consists of society’s negative viewpoints of mental health patients and their worth, potentially believing that individuals that suffer with these disorders perhaps choose to do so, are crazy, or are seeking …show more content…
Many people live undiagnosed and untreated because of shame and embarrassment of their mental health. Anja Baumann states, “Due to the stigma attached to mental illness, mental health problems are often underestimated, under diagnosed and untreated” (Baumann, 2007). In fact, many patients suffering never receive any professional help, and researchers conclude that “fear of stigma is one of the main reasons for not contacting a psychiatrist” (Freidl et.al, 2003). Both the author’s statements from above serve as a refutation for those who believe the stigma remains a simple element of people’s imagination. Mistakes and closed-mindedness proves often hard to admit, however, when acting so ruins many other people’s lives, society must accept their wrong actions and acknowledge that shaming and stereotyping a group of people never reveals a positive outcome. This leads into cultural competency, and according to the NEA, “Cultural competence is having an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families” (NEA, 2015). We must be more accepting of people. We face barriers such as our socialization: some individuals are raised to believe mental illnesses are not real, or serious. Some believe mental illnesses are not as severe as
An accumulating and alarming lack of awareness protrudes among members of society on mental health, including the population in general, patients themselves, and their family, friends, and even schools who are dealing with mental illness, perhaps on …show more content…
These illnesses can affect one’s mood, thinking, and behavior (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). In addition, according to Merriam-Webster, a stigma is “a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or a group of people have about something” (Merriam-Webster, 2016). Therefore, a stigma regarding mental health consists of society’s negative viewpoints of mental health patients and their worth, potentially believing that individuals that suffer with these disorders perhaps choose to do so, are crazy, or are seeking …show more content…
Many people live undiagnosed and untreated because of shame and embarrassment of their mental health. Anja Baumann states, “Due to the stigma attached to mental illness, mental health problems are often underestimated, under diagnosed and untreated” (Baumann, 2007). In fact, many patients suffering never receive any professional help, and researchers conclude that “fear of stigma is one of the main reasons for not contacting a psychiatrist” (Freidl et.al, 2003). Both the author’s statements from above serve as a refutation for those who believe the stigma remains a simple element of people’s imagination. Mistakes and closed-mindedness proves often hard to admit, however, when acting so ruins many other people’s lives, society must accept their wrong actions and acknowledge that shaming and stereotyping a group of people never reveals a positive outcome. This leads into cultural competency, and according to the NEA, “Cultural competence is having an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families” (NEA, 2015). We must be more accepting of people. We face barriers such as our socialization: some individuals are raised to believe mental illnesses are not real, or serious. Some believe mental illnesses are not as severe as