What Is Stigma
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This document discusses stigma surrounding mental illness. It begins by defining stigma and noting that while physical illnesses are generally accepted, mental illnesses often face stigma due to lack of understanding. People are misinformed about mental illness due to insufficient education and myths. This stigma leads to discrimination and prevents stigma from being removed. The document then poses trivia questions to test knowledge about conditions like depression and suicide rates. It reveals answers like 15-20% of people having depression and suicide being more common in summer. Additional facts provided emphasize depression is highly treatable but often untreated, and more action is needed to educate about mental illness and reduce stigma.
What Is Stigma
- 1. WHAT IS STIGMA? Presentation by I M CONFIDENT Niagara Canada
- 2. STIGMA IS DESTROYING US AND NEEDS TO BE REMOVED!! The dictionary describes STIGMA as the shame or disgrace attached to something regarded as socially unacceptable. Why is it socially unacceptable to have an illness? There is no stigma attached to most physical illnesses and many mental illnesses are treatable under the right circumstances.
- 3. PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND MENTAL ILLNESS There is not enough teaching done about mental illnesses and people naturally fear the unknown. There are also a lot of false myths that people pass on to each other which cause fear. This fear causes discrimination against people with mental illnesses and as long as this misunderstanding exists, the stigma will remain.
- 4. HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS? Try to answer the following 8 questions and see how many you get right. 1)What percentage of the world population suffers from depression? 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 40% 2)What time of year is depression at its worst? Summertime, Beginning of school year, Christmas, February, End of school year 3)What time of year are suicide rates higher? Christmas, February, Summertime, Beginning of school year, End of school year
- 5. HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS? 4) Can depression be effectively treated? Yes, No, Don’t know. 5) There is a suicide in the world every – 40 seconds, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, 3 days, 5 days 6) Who suffers from depression more? Men or Women 7) Who commits suicide more? Men or Women 8) Are people with mental illnesses able to hold a regular job. Yes No Don’t know
- 6. HOW MANY DID YOU GET RIGHT? 1. About 15%-20% of the world’s populations suffers from depression. So take a look at 5-7 of your family and friends and 1 will likely have this illness. 2. People are more depressed at Christmas due to loneliness and a sense that they don’t belong anywhere. 3. Suicide rates higher are higher in the summertime when people are worrying about going back to school. 4. Yes, depression be effectively treated. 8 out of 10 patients can improve with medication and psychotherapy.
- 7. HOW MANY DID YOU GET RIGHT? 5. There is a suicide in the world every – 40 seconds. In the year 2000 – 815,000 people lost their lives to suicide. 6. Women suffer from depression twice as much as men. 7. Men commit suicide at a 4% rate higher than women. Men just go ahead and do it, but women tend to reach out for help. 8.People with mental illnesses are able to hold a regular job with the proper treatment. **NOTE - Of course, these answers are gathered from known cases and there are many that are unknown because they are not reported, so the numbers might be higher.
- 8. MINI-TRAINING IN MENTAL ILLNESS Symptoms of mental illness vary in each person depending on the type of illness involved. Some general behavioral characteristics are: Extreme highs and lows in mood Continuous sadness, irritability, fear, anxiety Social withdrawal Inability to cope with daily activities Anger, substance abuse Change in eating or sleeping habits Thoughts of suicide
- 9. ADDITIONAL SYMPTOMS OF CHILDREN AND TEENS OLDER CHILDREN AND TEENS Skipping school Stealing Damaging property Fear of gaining weight Long lasting negative mood Obsession with death YOUNGER CHILDREN Problems in school and poor grades Hyperactivity Nightmares Aggressive behaviour Temper tantrums disobedience
- 10. MORE FACTS Depression is the second largest cause of incapacity in industrialized countries and will become first It is largely undertreated and inadequately treated If untreated, can lead to suicide Suicide it the fourth leading cause of death and the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide In Canada, the suicide rate is 15% per 100,000, with 600 attempts and another 4000 think about it 90% of suicide victims have a diagnosable psychological illness
- 11. RECENT STUDIES DONE BY RESEARCHERS AT ST MICHAEL’S HOSPITAL AND THE INSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL EVALUATIVE SCIENCES (Toronto) show that: 50% of men and women with depression visited a doctor for their condition 33% of men and women discharged from hospital for SEVERE depression did not see a doctor for a follow-up visit within 30 days 17% visited a hospital emergency room within 30 days of discharge 8% were re-admitted to hospital Read more reports at www.stmichaelshospital.com
- 12. Why are we allowing this to happen to our families and communities? Why are we allowing this STIGMA to continue? We need to take action! NOW! Before more lives are lost!
- 13. Let’s all get out there and do our part! Learn Educate others Speak up Contact government officials, mental health organizations Do whatever you can to help destroy STIGMA and help EVERYONE who struggles with mental illnesses THANK-YOU www.imconfident.com MENTAL ILLNESS CAN BE TREATED MORE EFFECTIVELY.