My inquiry question is “What are the effects of stigma against mental illness?”
As a person who has mental illness, I have first-handedly seen the effects of what stigma against mental illness can do to myself. It’s even embarrassing for myself to even admit that I have it at times. For a long time mental illness was seen as taboo as it was believed that those with it were victims of witchcraft or possessed by evil spirits. A lot of the effects of this can still be seen today, for example, our education system barely touches on the topic of it and lacks resources on how to seek help. I believe that it’s important for ourselves to talk about mental health and mental illness to help more people feel confidence in asking for help. Another reason I believe it’s important is so that there is more of a demand to have accessible resources for help. Private therapy can range from 50$ to 240$ per each session. Fortunately for myself, I receive therapy from the Child & Youth Mental Health Services Office, however, I had to wait about 3 months to receive counselling. Some people don’t have the money or time to wait receive help, leaving them left untreated.
Hi Aleah, this is a great topic! I love that you related it to yourself and you’re right it should never be something to be embarrassed of. So many hundreds of thousands of people have mental health disorders and the stigmatization behind it can be detrimental. I think it would also be really great to see you talk about other alternatives to therapy so that anyone can access the help they need. Thank you for doing your topic on the to spread awareness! I wish you all the best in your upcoming research and perhaps these links can help you.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/in-depth/mental-health/art-20046477
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination
– Chantal M
Hello Aleah ,
Your project sounds very interesting. I feel as if it is very important to address the stigma surrounding mental health considering so many people suffer in silence. I look forward to reading more about this topic
Here are some links to articles that could help you address your question
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1489832/
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/servicesandsupport/stigma-discrimination-and-mental-illness
good luck , Sammie
Hey Aleah! I really love this topic, and how important it is. I can really relate to how you feel about sometimes feeling embarrassed about having a mental illness. This is why it is so important to speak out about this topic, and get rid of the stigma against mental illnesses. I’m looking forward to reading your next posts!
Hi Aleah,
That’s a great topic! It is really important to care of ourselves and to talk to someone if help is needed. I really like that you are taking your time to learn more about this stuff so people can be aware of it and do not underestimate it since it can really affect them and if it is not treated carefully and with a professional’s help it can cause great damage on the person.
Here are some links that may help you with your research and good luck!
– https://www.lehighcenter.com/the-importance-of-seeking-mental-health-treatment/#:~:text=Good%20mental%20health%20can%20also,done%20in%20a%20timely%20manner.
– https://www.destinationsforteens.com/destinations-blog/the-challenge-and-benefits-of-seeking-treatment-for-mental-health/
– https://thriveworks.com/blog/why-people-avoid-mental-health-treatment/#:~:text=While%20there%20are%20multiple%20reasons,to%20admit%20they%20need%20help.
– https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health
– Andrea.