Worksheet 1 - Addressing the Stigma on Mental Illness

Based on your understanding of our discussion and your personal research, please answer the
following questions as briefly and as direct to the point as possible.
1. What do you think are the reason why people with mental illness are often
stigmatized?
Nowadays, people with mental health problems stated that stigma are attached
to the mental ill health including the bullying and as well as the discrimination. These
things make it harder for them to recover. It is ironic that many people's problems are
made worse by the stigma and discrimination they experience - from society, but also
from families, friends and employers. Based on my own opinion and perspective, the
main reason why people with mental illness are often stigmatized because we, the
society, has stereotyped views about mental illness and how it affects the people. Many
people believe in myths that mentally ill person are violent and dangerous but in reality,
they are more at risk of being attacked or harming themselves than harming other people.
Aside from these, the situation has been exacerbated by the social media. In my own
opinion and based on my observation, media reports often link to mental illness with
violence and drama series often portray people with mental health issues as dangerous,
criminal, evil or very disabled and unable to live a fulfilled and normal lives.
Lastly, according to the research of Stigma Mental Illness-1, most studies
show that stigma usually arises from lack of awareness, lack of education, lack of
perception, and the nature and complications of the mental illness, for example odd
behaviors and violence. Hopefully, sooner or later, people will be more aware regarding
to this matter. Instead of becoming one of the problem, we become one of the solution.
2. What do you think influences an individual's perceptions and beliefs about mental
illness?
What influences an individual’s perception and beliefs regarding to mental illness
are the knowledge about it. The lesser the people know, the more they talk unreasonably
regarding to it. They are talking based on what they’ve seen, heard, and experience but
never with a complete research and stand. Next is, maybe they know persons living with
it and they are interacting with them. Maybe some of the mentally ill patients showed
some violence that made them believe that every mental patient are dangerous and maybe
some people have personal experiences and some of them had been traumatized. Lastly, I
think what influence individual perception’s most is their educational level. If they are
educated enough, most probably they have a deeper understanding in patients suffering
with mental illness. They can understand them deeply.
3. How do you think stigma affects the lives of people with mental illness?
People with mental health problems experience many different types of stigma.
Some of them may have experiencing social discrimination in the community, giving
accounts of being physically and verbally attacked by strangers and neighbors, their
 property being vandalized, or being barred from shops and pubs; those with addictions or
psychotic illness tended to experience this more than those with non-psychotic illness.
Reports also included examples of being spoken to as if they were stupid or like children,
being patronizing and, in some instances, having questions addressed to those
accompanying them rather than service users themselves. All in all, I think people living
with mental illness in relation with stigma have difficulty facing their lives every day. It
is like they are carrying weighs that is continuously getting heavier and heavier day by
day. Stigma may provoke them to get back to the old ways wherein they were suffering
mental illnesses.

4. What do you think will be the nursing responsibilities in addressing the stigma of a
mentally ill client?
Since we are now currently studying psychiatric nursing, in my own opinion, the
nursing responsibilities in addressing the stigma of mentally ill client is to assess the
client’s mental state, establish good communication with the patient, build a relationship
with the patient, use language that shows consideration, provide sensitive patient-
centered care, consult with knowledgeable mental health professionals and refer a patient
to community services. Patients with mental health issues are often seen as difficult.
Nurses should not judge a patient because of the patient’s behavior; instead, they need to
provide care in a respectful manner. Sometimes trauma and chronic health conditions can
trigger depression or anxiety. In some cases, diseases or medications are the reasons for
the appearance of mental distress. Lastly, the best a nurses can do to mentally ill client is
to become an advocate and be the voice of the mentally ill patients. Teach other people
that mental illness is a disorder and not a decision and what mental health need is more
sunlight, more candor and more unashamed conversation.