Lecture 31- Stigma and Discrimination Flashcards
What is self-stigma?
Internalised stigma or feelings such as guilt, shame, or inferiority which can erode a person’s self-esteem and belief in their abilities.
Develops when people internalise the negative messages and behaviour they receive from others and wider society.
May prevent people accessing the care and support they need, or it may stop them from doing things that can foster wellbeing because they may feel that they don’t deserve the help or that nothing can help them.
Define stigma
A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality or person
Stigma contributes to negative feelings such as shame, unworthiness, rejection and loneliness
How does media influence stigma?
News and fictional media are major influences on public knowledge and opinion
Media encourage negative ways of thinking and beliefs about mental illness
This involves terms such as: ‘dangerousness’, ‘risk’, ‘the bizarre’, ‘tragedy’ and ‘service failure’
Events only become news when they fit with the negative viewpoints
Define Discrimination
Is the systematic, unfair treatment of people, because they are different.
People living with mental illness or addiction may experience ridicule, harassment and abuse by others.
Or they may be forgotten, ignored or denied access to opportunities most people take for granted.
They may also see and hear negative stereotyped images of themselves in the media, literature or conversation.
Discrimination can occur from individuals or from policies and practices of services or organisations.
These messages and experiences tell people living with mental illness or addiction that, “we don’t want you here”, “you’re not one of us” and “you are not important, and you don’t belong”.
What does Stigma and discrimination stops people from
feeling a part of their community and contributing to it
feeling good about themselves and believing in their ability to recover
seeking treatment
maintaining wellness
participating in work, education and social activities
having support from loved ones.
What is the “Let’s get real framework”
This is a framework developed by the MoH Mental Health workforce education and development group, called Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui. It has been rolled out over the last 3 years in the Mental Health sector, and it is planned that this framework will be included in training and education for all health care workers throughout Aotearoa, across Primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare settings.
The purpose of this framework is to educate healthcare workers to work in partnership with people and their whanau experiencing mental illness and addiction, and to challenge the barriers to their wellbeing, especially those related to the attitudes and behaviours of healthcare workers themselves
What factors form the “let’s get real framework”
6 values plus the 5 attitudes will ideally contribute to health care workers developing the 7 real skills for effectively working with people living with mental illness/tangata whai ora and their whanau.
How can you challenging Stigma & Discrimination?
Education: replacing myths about mental illness with correct information
Contact: challenging discriminatory attitudes and behaviour through direct interactions with people with experience of mental illness
Protest: direct actions that suppress discriminatory attitudes and behaviours towards people with mental illness
