Stigma is a set of unfair, negative beliefs about a certain group of people, such as people with mental health issues or addiction. In some cases, health practitioners may make diagnosis and treatment decisions based on stereotypes, racial prejudices, or unfair beliefs about mental illness. What is our role as health practitioners to prevent this misbehavior ?
There is a need to intensify awareness about mental illnesses and addiction in society. At the same time, there is a need to put brakes on people who propagate wrong information (e.g. Faith healers).
People need to know that mental illness, like any other illnesses, is just a kind of disease that needs to be treated, and that an addict is a patient, not a culprit.
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As long as we have negative prejudices against addicts, no treatment will be effective. Many of them will return to addiction after recovery due to poor and hostile social conditions.
I would favor days dedicated to mental health with open days in psychiatric facilities. In my opinion, nurses or all those operators who work closely with patients should be more involved by local politics in awareness-raising activities in the area.
Health policy makers should support health care providers to prevent stigma attached to mental health and addiction in a context. without their support, not much can be done.
Unfortunately, the mentally ill have traditionally been the object of prejudice, stigmatization and discrimination, the fruits of FEAR AND IGNORANCE (famous is the picture that captures how Dr. Pinel removes the chains from those interned in the mental hospital or asylum of the Salpretiere, while others took the Bastille at the dawn of the French Revolution) ... in such a framework, they have followed and continue the "fate" of lepers, epileptics, more closely those with HIV / AIDS and even the Covid patients and even albinos !; But, as has already been said, all this is the result of fear, however absurd and irrational it may be, and ignorance are excellent breeding grounds for all discrimination and all prejudice. By virtue of what has been said, by combating ignorance and fear in this regard, such stigmas, stereotypes and prejudices will be overcome.
In order not to lengthen the answer, I would dare to suggest that you read the multiple contributions, here in "RG", from my Research Group and myself, about and around stereotypes, prejudices and discriminations, in general, and the ways endorsed to combat them and, in particular, on AIDS, leprosy, cancer, racism and a long etcetera ... without resisting the temptation to say that an old and wise Professor of mine, already deceased and may God have in his Glory, He told us: "ladies and gentlemen, people are afraid of the crazy and the dead ... but I, now old and with long experience, assure you that they have fear of the 'ready and sane' and the alive '"; after many years I sign and confirm it.