Stigmatization: What can be done?

This week I chose to respond to mental illness and stigmatism. According to many sociologists, like D.L. Rosenhan (picture on the left) and Thomas Szazs, mental illness is social construction. Mental illness does not exist until society labels and defines it. Prior to becoming a mental illness, those characteristics were defined as deviant. It was through medicalization that mental illness was coined and made profitable. Two interesting blogs discussing this topic are Stamping out the Stigma, written by psychologist Dr. Deborah Serani, and Reversing the Stigmatization of Mental Illness. Stamping out the Stigma provides a great list of myths and fact about mental illness as well as a brief article about stigmatization and mental illness. Reversing Stigma asks if and how stigmatization of mental illness can be reversed and dispersed. I included in this response the research of Peter Conrad (pictured on the right), a professor of social sciences, to support my ideas

Response: Stamping out the stigma of mental illness

Mental illness can fall into two types of stigma: discredited and discreditable. Discredited means that stigma is not easily hidden. For example, it is not easy to hide the stigma of being homeless, therefore homelessness is discredited. But, discreditable means that stigma is hidden and not noticed. An example of this is eating disorders because it is not usually visible. Mental illness falls under the former if someone with an illness is not treated or the treatment does not work. But on the other hand being diagnosed and given a treatment can hide the fact that someone has a mental illness. True, taking medication provides another stigma, but this also can be discreditable. A child is stigmatized at school when he is socially awkward, but if he is medicated and acts normally he is no longer stigmatized as crazy. Therefore I agree that “Knowledge of mental illness appears by itself insufficient to dispel stigma”. However, research and use of medication can reverse it.

Response: Reversing the stigmatization of mental illness?

I wanted to point out the similarities between what you call institutionalization and the American term medicalization. This is when the medical profession takes custody over certain issues, like mental illness. In the past, in America, people showing symptoms of mental illness were regarded as deviant. There was a stigma attached to being deviant, but the medicalization of mental illness took away that stigma. You argue that stigma is a main concern when dealing with mental illness and I agree with Paul Garfinkle that working to improve treatment will help reverse stigma. For example, if a child has a mental illness that causes social awkwardness he acquires a stigma. But put that child on medication where he can function normally and that stigma disappears. However, it is important to consider that mental illness is a social construction. A great example of this is from Peter Conrad and his study on hyperkinesias, or ADHD. He shows through his study that the disease was not diagnosed until after Ritalin was discovered. Prior to the cure, hyperkinesias defined children who were deviant, not displaying characteristics of a mental illness. But when push comes to shove, I think more research on treatments would be beneficial.