STORY BY SHELBY OSHEL
PHOTOS BY CLARK CHEN
On Wednesday, Professor Brooke Man and graduate student Ashley Lockwood of Fort Hays State University’s Psychology department partnered up to tackle the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Mental illnesses have been stigmatized for hundreds of years. Before there was a modern understanding of how mental illness affected people, individuals who suffered from these issues were said to have the mark of the devil or were being punished by God. Due to this misconception, many individuals with mental illnesses were treated inhumanely. Lack of knowledge and understanding allowed for the stigma to spread. Through the discussion, many instances of mistreatment and stigmatization were mentioned.
As the discussion continued, Lockwood shared many shocking statistics about mental illnesses within the United States.
“Approximately 58% of adults do not receive services for their illness,” Lockwood said. “With one in five adults suffering from a mental illness each year, this means that many people are battling with their illness on their own.”
Lockwood continued saying 42% of employers believe that individuals with mental illnesses cannot succeed in the workplace. Due to misconceptions about mental illness, many individuals find themselves stuck behind pervasive barriers, such as overcriminalization in comparison to other groups, difficulty finding and maintaining jobs, and struggling to find housing.
Moving on from workplace statistics, Man discussed how mental illnesses are portrayed within the media.
“On Primetime television, 25% of individuals with mental illness are portrayed as being aggressive, violent, delusional, and often display irrational behavior,” Man said.
In order to decrease stigma, the general public needs to be provided with correct information rather than overdramatization within the media. Both Lockwood and Man suggest that informational sessions about mental illnesses decrease stigma and provide an opportunity for individuals to learn how to avoid hurtful labels, use respectful language, and remember to treat people as human beings rather than a diagnosis.