MHM Magazine

32 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | Issu3 2 | 2022 MHM “It’s ok not to be OK”. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and fatigue are increasing. In a world often beset with stigma against mental health discussions and ‘admissions’, it’s an incredibly important message. The sad reality is that, especially for the medical professional, being ‘not OK’ is not really an option. Psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists – stigma against the ‘impaired practitioner’ is real. And in a world where more than 300 million people suffer from depression and close to 800 000 people die by suicide every year, shouldn’t mental health be treated as any other illness is? Over the last two years, more research has been done into stigma and its effects. We know that labelling leads to stigmatisation which leads to a separation (the ‘us-and-them’ phenomenon) and discrimination. It’s a vicious cycle and the healthcare practitioner is not exempt. WHAT IS STIGMA? Stigma happens when people see you in a negative way because of your mental illness. The resulting discrimination is when you’re treated in a negative way because of your mental illness. Stigma happens when a person is defined by their illness rather than who they are as an individual. For example, labelling someone as “schizo” versus “You suffer from schizophrenia”. Erving Goffman (Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, 1963) states that stigma is “an attribute that is deeply discrediting” that reduces someone “from a whole and usual person to a tainted, discounted one”. The stigmatised, thus, are perceived as having a “spoiled identity”. Very often, stigma comes from lack of understanding or fear. Inaccurate or misleading media representations of mental illness contribute to both those factors. Studies show that while the public may accept the medical or genetic nature of a mental health disorder and the need for treatment, many people still have a negative view of those with mental illness. “Part of the stigma of mental illness is that people treat it differently – it’s a biological condition. Calling a day off a mental health / wellness day, can almost be more stigmatising. We need to always know the difference between waking up feeling miserable and bleh one morning, to suffering from clinical depression,” says Prof Renata Schoeman. THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF STIGMA For people suffering with mental health issues, social stigma and discrimination can make their problems worse, possibly stopping them getting the help they need because of the fear of being stigmatised makes it harder to recover. More than half of those with mental illness don't receive help for their disorders, and the stigma of mental illness is universal. According to the Mental Health Foundation, nearly 9 out of 10 people with a mental illness feel stigma and discrimination negatively impact their lives. People with mental health issues reported that they are among the least likely of any group with a long-term health condition or disability to find work, be in long-term relationships, live in good housing, and be socially Contribution by Prof Renata Schoeman Psychiatrist STIGMA & THE IMPAIRED PRACTITIONER