REVIEW OF LITERATURE Mental health is an important aspect to the overall well-being of an individual. However, many people associate negative stigmas with mental health disorders. Corrigan and Watson (2002) discussed that the dual complexity of mental health stigma stems from stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice and produces both public and self-stigma. Mental health and mental health stigma are largely at play on college campuses (Michaels, Corrigan, Kanodia, Buchholz, & Abelson, 2015). College campuses are an interesting case to examine mental health. Students experience stress from professors, homework demands, and peers; and, stress is linked to the development of mental health illness (World Health Organization, 2012). College campuses
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Health equity is closely linked to social justice and the government policies enacted in order to level the opportunities for quality health attainment (Liburd et al., 2013). Leveling opportunities through health equity is not synonymous to health equality. Although equality sounds appropriate, if the services provided to maintain health were equal, then disparaged groups would still fall short. Imagine there are three men trying to reach the top shelf at a grocery store. One man is four feet tall while the other two are five and six feet tall. Each man receives a step-ladder that is eight inches tall—equality. The six-foot man easily reaches the top shelf, and did not need the step-ladder to begin with. He looks around and grabs the least expired box of food from the shelf. The five-foot-tall man barely manages to reach the top shelf. He only reaches the close-to-expired box of food from the shelf. The four-foot man stands on the step-ladder, but cannot reach the top shelf to get food—not even expired food. So, although each man received an equal opportunity to reach the top shelf, equality still inhibited the shortest man from reaching the food on the high shelf. Liburd et al. (2013) described health inequities as environmental, social, political, and economic shortcomings that immobilize individuals from the accomplishment of maximal health (2013). To fix inequities, governments should individually cater to each group within their system. Healthcare is not a ‘one-size fits all’ purchase. Liburd et al. (2013) described how disparaged groups experience poverty, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, which influence increased spending on criminal justice or social services, for example. Therefore, if governments strive for health equity, then community costs, such as healthcare, decrease and the health
Health equity is closely linked to social justice and the government policies enacted in order to level the opportunities for quality health attainment (Liburd et al., 2013). Leveling opportunities through health equity is not synonymous to health equality. Although equality sounds appropriate, if the services provided to maintain health were equal, then disparaged groups would still fall short. Imagine there are three men trying to reach the top shelf at a grocery store. One man is four feet tall while the other two are five and six feet tall. Each man receives a step-ladder that is eight inches tall—equality. The six-foot man easily reaches the top shelf, and did not need the step-ladder to begin with. He looks around and grabs the least expired box of food from the shelf. The five-foot-tall man barely manages to reach the top shelf. He only reaches the close-to-expired box of food from the shelf. The four-foot man stands on the step-ladder, but cannot reach the top shelf to get food—not even expired food. So, although each man received an equal opportunity to reach the top shelf, equality still inhibited the shortest man from reaching the food on the high shelf. Liburd et al. (2013) described health inequities as environmental, social, political, and economic shortcomings that immobilize individuals from the accomplishment of maximal health (2013). To fix inequities, governments should individually cater to each group within their system. Healthcare is not a ‘one-size fits all’ purchase. Liburd et al. (2013) described how disparaged groups experience poverty, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, which influence increased spending on criminal justice or social services, for example. Therefore, if governments strive for health equity, then community costs, such as healthcare, decrease and the health