Stop stigma in mental health
Dec 07, 2011
In the past, it was unclear whether African cultures experienced less mental illness and, therefore, less stigma. However, today a new research now shows mental illness and stigma is prevalent in Africa.
Dr Raymond Odokonyero
In the past, it was unclear whether African cultures experienced less mental illness and, therefore, less stigma. However, today a new research now shows mental illness and stigma is prevalent in Africa.
In many African cultures, disease causation and classification is entrenched in traditional beliefs, social, economic and political factors.
For one to be considered mentally healthy, they need to have full equilibrium. Thus, disease results from an imbalanced life, a state that attracts stigma.
Stigma involves public perception of mental illness resulting in labels, attribution and associated social distance. Mental illness is associated with violence, murders, arson, poor reasoning and lack of emotions.
Stigma is a possession of undesired differentness. A perception of being different from normal society.
Stigma is barbaric; relies upon primitive and destructive emotions, adds suffering to the primary illness.
Stigma deprives people of their dignity, curtails social interaction, contributes to underfunding of mental health services and research (seen as a waste of resources for ‘gone cases’). It is associated with unemployment, low earnings, lack of housing, diminished self-esteem, weak social support, and new disorders or repeat episodes of existing problems.
Stigma narrows courtship options, removes minorities from various avenues of competition.
Illiteracy, being male (females are more tolerant), not having a family member or friend with mental illness, non-medical background, being a youthful care provider and being a health worker with under 10 years of experience are significantly associated with stigmatising behaviour.
Stigma can be instrumental or institutional causing resource limitations and unsupportive policies. It may be illness label stigma, which is more concerned about behavioural disturbances associated with psychotic disorders and tend to overlook less aggressive disorders.
To the perpetrators, stigma plays functions of reducing prevalence of “undesirable” behaviours and thus providing a means of social control, enhancing personal or group self-esteem and alleviating discomfort and anxiety on the part of the “normal”.
Stop stigma today.
The writer is a psychiatrist at Mulago Hospital