Demystifying Mental Health Issue Myths & Stereotypes

“We failed to understand why parents of a child with leukemia were treated with sympathy and understanding, while parents of a child with schizophrenia were treated with scorn and condemnation.”

- Eve Oliphant, one of NAMI’s founders, in a break-through speech to the World Congress on Psychiatry.


Scorn and condemnation have long been applied directly to people who live with mental illness. Today, we still need to overcome stigma and discrimination within popular culture, professions and institutions. These are barriers not only to people getting help when they need it, but also to finding employment as part of the road to recovery.


During Mental Health Month, NAMI is continuing the hard work of breaking down these barriers by challenging common myths about mental illness.


Myth #1: Mental illness is a sign of weakness


Really? Tell that to Abraham Lincoln, who fought depression throughout his life, which “gave him the tools to save the nation.” *


Not to mention television journalist Jane Pauley, NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw or Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash.


It is important to realize that mental illness is not anyone's fault.


According to the landmark U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health: “Mental disorders are health conditions characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior (or some combination)…associated with distress and/or impaired functioning.”


No one should feel ashamed of mental illness any more than with other medical conditions. Of course, other conditions are often stigmatized, too. We are all part of a broader movement for change.


* Source: "Lincoln's Great Depression," by Joshua Wolf Shenk, The Atlantic, October 2005


Myth #2: Mental illness and violence are linked


The Surgeon General’s report states that “the overall likelihood of violence is low...the overall contribution of mental disorders to the total level of violence in society is exceptionally small.” Different factors may contribute to risks of violence, but they are things like age, sex, substance abuse, recent divorce or unemployment, which apply to everyone, not just those who live with mental illness.


In fact, about 25 percent of people with severe mental illness are victims of violence, a rate that is more than 10 times higher than the rest of the population.


One reason the violence myth persists is because of Hollywood portrayals in movies and on television. There has been progress in the past 10 years, but it’s two steps forward, one step back.


What Can You Do to Help?


During Mental Health Month, and in the months and years ahead, please help change the world. This may sound hokey, but we can all make a difference, no matter what our disability–if not as individuals or family members directly affected by mental illness, then simply as friends and allies.


We can all educate ourselves and help spread the word.


We can all play a role in demystifying mental illness myths and stereotypes and encourage acceptance of those living with it.


Posted by Diana Z. on May 5, 2010 11:52:37 AM in Guest Blogger, Health