Lesson 3 - Stereotypes, Labels, Sample Size, and Side Effects
Common Stereotypes
Mental illness is a topic that many people associate with stereotypes. Alot of this due to the fact that few people are educated on this topic, unless it has affected them personally. Negative perceptions of mental illness colour the support and advice people get from their friends, family and even their physicians and can create a reluctance to seek help. One in five Canadians are affected by mental illness and many of them do not seek help because they are afraid to talk about it. Refer to the table below that displays some of these common stereotypes.
Table: Common Stereotypes
| Popular Myths and/or Erroneous Stereotypes |
Fact |
| 1. Abnormal behaviour is consistently bizarre. | The behaviour of most mentally ill individuals is often impossible to differentiate from that of“normal” individuals. |
| 2. Mentally ill individuals are unpredictable and dangerous. | Mentally ill individuals are no more dangerous than the general population. There may be more publicity and media coverage, however, with crimes committed and behaviours exhibited by the mentally ill. |
| 3. Mental disorders are due to fundamental personal deficits and, therefore, are shameful. | Everyone shares the potential for mental illness and abnormal behaviour. |
| 4. Individuals never fully recover from mental illness and should be approached with caution. | A full recovery is possible as is integration into the general population. |
| 5. The mentally ill are weak and could recover from their illness if only they put effort into changing. | Mental illness can happen to anyone; it is not related to strength or weakness of character. |
| 6. Only those of lower intelligence become mentally ill. | Intelligence has nothing to do with mental illness; everyone shares the potential for abnormal behaviour regardless of IQ. |
Let's Change Negative Stereotypes!
Work is being done to educate people about mental illness and to change the stigma surrounding the topic. You may have seen advertisements similar to those below, designed to make people think about their views. As a society, we can be more accepting of physical illness and offer those that are suffering encouragement and support, however, we are afraid to address the topic of mental illness and turn our heads the other way.
Advertisements from the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation
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What is Stigma? In the context of mental health, stigma is the use of negative labels to identify a person living with mental illness. It is about disrespect and keeps mental illness in the closet. Stigma is a barrier and discourages individuals and their families from getting the help they need. It closes minds and fuels discrimination. Many say that living with the stigma is worse than living with the illness itself. (Canadian Mental Health Association) |
Video: Stigma
Watch the video below where Stella relays her experience with bipolar disorder and the stigmas that she has had to face and overcome.
After you have watched the video, you will need to make a journal entry.
Bell Canada's launched a "Let's Talk" campaign, led by Olympian Clara Hughes. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness and to talk openly about mental illness. Watch the video below to learn about Clara's big ride which she used to start the conversation about mental illness. As a society, we need to change the stigma associated with mental health.