Mental illness can affect anybody, regardless of age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or social class. Many people with serious mental illness are challenged doubly. On one hand, they struggle with the symptoms and disabilities that result from the disease. On the other, they are challenged by the stereotypes and prejudice that result from misconceptions about mental illness. People with mental illness are considered as ‘weak individuals’ and are devoid of opportunities of good quality life: like a good job, family, friends etc.
The stigma of mental illness moves an individual into sense of blame, shame, and labels him as mentally sick person and pushes him into social isolation. Due to the fear of such negative labels and shame, the likelihood of people contacting the services for help becomes less.
In 2001, the World Health Organization declared stigma of mental illness to be the single most important barrier to overcome in the community.
Proper awareness, contact with persons affected with mental illness, helping them fight this illness, fighting against discrimination of mentally affected persons etc and go a long way towards overcoming stigma of mental illness
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