Mental illness and stigma: Has psychiatry done more harm than good?

Abstract

Stigma against people with mental illness is a very complex public health problem. There could be diverse reasons for this ranging from: Lack of awareness; Fear of a dimly-comprehended and much-misunderstood illness; Illogical generalizations; and Disrespect for the heterogeneity of life. The result-for the mentally ill-could well be diminished access to social determinants of healthcare, employment, and housing. In addition, people with mental illnesses are exposed to numerous health risks such as malnutrition, drug abuse, violence and homelessness. Maybe this explains nondisclosure of illness in an increasingly degenerate civil society.

Keywords

• Stigma
• erosion of a sense of self-worth
• sense of shame
• psychiatry and its discontents