Women's Mental Health Project
By: Makayla Buck and Paige Stewart
Thesis: People who suffer from mental illnesses should be treated like real people and a stigma exists against those certain people that should not.
-"IU study: 'Backbone' of mental illness stigma common in 16 countries studies" from Mental Health Weekly Digest, April 22nd, 2013
-"A Solution That Now Looks Crazy" from The New York Times, January 14th, 2014
-"A history of treatment for mental illness" from The Washington Post, June 28th, 2014
Each of these articles have a stance that overall states that a stigma around mental illness exists and there is a division between those who are considered "normal" in society and those who are not because of a mental illness that cannot be controlled by the person suffering.
In the "IU study: 'Backbone' of mental illness stigma common in 16 countries studies" the author states that "Even in countries with cultures more accepting of mental illness, the 'backbone' of stigma was detected, encompassing issues involving caring for children, marriage, self-harm, and holding roles of authority or civic responsibility. The stigma was even stronger toward people with schizophrenia." This proves the point that despite a said "welcoming" environment for those who suffer from mental illnesses, these people have a barrier separating them from the rest of society.
The article "A history of treatment for mental illness" says "Patients are presumed incapable of making decisions, and inpatient hospitalization is assumed to be beneficial. Large state psychiatric hospitals are built to house patients who are forced to comply with therapies that are often crude and ineffective. Abuses of this system are rampant, with families often paying to have unwanted relatives committed against their will." Even though this quote is describing the 19th century, it shows that there was a stigma and avoidance against the mentally ill and it began at an early time and continues to be present through out the times.
"The care of people with serious mental illness was a long national disgrace." This piece is from the article "A Solution That Now Looks Crazy." This shows that even when the people who wanted those who were mentally ill separated from them had their way, they still weren't happy with having to "care for" those certain people and made this care-taking a disgrace of the country.