Australian Population - Experience Stigma and Mental Illness - Nursing Assessment Answers

August 13, 2017
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Solution Code: 1BFI

Question: Nursing Assignment

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please find the details below for assignment.

‘Approximately half of the Australian population will experience some form of mental illness at some stage of their lives. Despite this, consumers with mental illness continue to experience stigma and discrimination.’

What effect does stigma have on individuals with mental illness and what strategies are available in Australia to combat this? Find at least 5 peer-reviewed journal articles to inform your discussion.

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Solution:Stigma and Mental Illness

1.0 Introduction

For a long time, societies have been faced with the challenge of reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. Socially, stigma labels people with mental illness a mark hence devaluing them. Currently, different strategies around the world aim at reducing stigma on mental illness and improve knowledge. This essay seeks to identify the effects of stigma on people with mental illness and provide strategies to combat it in Australia.

2.0 Mental illness in Australia

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that at least 45% of Australians will suffer from mental illness through their lives (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009). The Bureau further indicates mental illness sets in at around mid-adolescence with the Australian youth aged 18-24 year being more prone to suffer the illness. One out of five (20%) Australians between the ages 16-85 become mentally ill in any year. Of this Australians, 11.5% suffer from one disorder while 8.5% of them suffer from two or more disorders (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009).

Depression, substance abuse, and anxiety were the most common mental illness in Australia often occurring in combination. 14% of young Australians experienced anxiety disorders with 6% having experienced depression and 5% suffering from substance abuse disorder (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009).

3.0 Stigma on the mentally ill in Australia

In relation to social distance, Department of Health and Ageing (2013), reported that Australians rated themselves as being ‘willing’ to interact socially with the mentally ill. However, levels of stigma varied with the nature of mental illness with chronic schizophrenia having the highest social distance. Second was early schizophrenia followed by depression and last depression with suicidal thoughts. There was a decrease in social distance from persons suffering depression with suicidal thoughts in 2011 compared to similar data between 2003 and 2004. The decrease in stigmatization is associated to campaigns carried out by organizations such as Beyond Blue (Department of Health and Ageing, 2013).

4.0 Effects of stigma on the mentally ill

Stigma affects the self-esteem and confidence of the mentally ill. Service consumers feel different emotions including isolation, fear, anxiety, anger, embarrassment, depression, and guilt as a result discrimination (Crisp, Gelder, & Rix, 2000). Besides, stigma can be a barrier to recovery as it can prevent persons from seeking early treatment until at advanced stages of illness. Delayed treatment may lead to further illness increasing the risks of suicide and depression. Sokratis, Scott, Marc, Scott, & Michael(2004), reported that when people faced stigma while seeking healthcare service, it resulted to disengagement from therapeutic interventions which can result in relapse.

Stigma also disrupts social interactions, families, and working relations with people with mental illness. As a result, patients may lose their families, work, and friends increasing the occurrence of psychiatric problems.

In addition, stigma may lead to people with mental illness develop a habit of self-stigmatization. Self-stigmatization occurs when people suffering from mental illness turn negative views about mental illness against themselves (Claire, et al., 2011). This leads to patients to have a low self-esteem and denies them the opportunity of living a quality life.

While self-stigmatization may lead to reduced self-esteem, it may also energize some people with mental illness leading to righteous anger. As a result of the prejudice experienced, some patients develop righteous anger empowering them to play active roles in changing and enhancing the quality of mental healthcare services and systems.

Stigma and discrimination also make persons with mental illness fear to reveal their condition to family members, friends or their employers(Sokratis, Scott, Marc, Scott, & Michael, 2004).Consequently, they continuously live in the shadows opting not to seek medical attention. Patients may live in isolation, become depressed increasing the risk of suicide, losing hope of ever recovering. While some of the mentally ill may seek health services, they will place extra effort in guarding their illness to remain a secret.

5.0 Strategies to reduce stigma on the mentally ill

Stigma and discrimination of the mentally ill are linked lack of factual, adequate knowledge about mental illness. Consequently, the strategies available to reduce stigma on the mentally ill relate to contact, creating awareness through education and protests (Patrick & Amy, 2002).

Through protests, groups fight stigma by disapproving inaccurate depiction of mental illness. To the media, protests aim at stopping the dissemination of inaccurate information about mental illness. Therefore, the media should make use of its purpose of reaching out to people to educate them on mental illness in a factual and impartial manner (Patrick & Amy, 2002). To the public, protests focus on urging the public not to believe negative opinions about mental illness. The strategy is more reactive than proactive as it focuses on reducing negative attitudes on the mentally ill as opposed to promoting positive attitudes.

Education increases awareness about mental illness. Hence, the public is more likely to make informed judgments about the illness. Education programs are more inclusive as they allow a variety of participants such as the mentally ill, community members, students, and adolescents (Patrick & Amy, 2002).

Increasing contact with people with mental disorders reduced stigma levels in adults (Anthony & AnneMarie, 2008). Patrick & Amy(2002), reported theexistence of an inverse relation between contact with persons with mental disorders and approving psychiatric stigma. Interactions between the public and people with mental illness at work, school, or other social settings enhance interpersonal contact (Patrick & Amy, 2002).

In addition to the above strategies, formulation of future plans and policies should incorporate the opinion of people with experience of mental illness to have a deeper understanding of the effects of stigma. Finally, as persons aged below 19 years hold negative attitudes towards mental illness particularly alcohol and drug addiction, education programs for this group should educate on the effects and dangers of drug misuse and addiction.

7.0 Conclusion

It is evident that people suffering from mental illness continue to face stigma from the general public. Consequently, patients endure experiences that are as painful as the mental disorders. Hence, relevant stakeholders should promote strategies that promote social inclusion, tackle stigma, and promote health and opportunities that lead to a normal life pattern.

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