Mental Health: Labelling

Question 1

3 reasons why labelling can be useful?

Answer 1

To recognise and describe mental illnesses
To provide treatment
To have a common understanding of mental illnesses between all professionals

Question 2

3 reasons why labelling can be not useful?

Answer 2

How a person views themselves, how the community views them and how they are treated generally
Misunderstandings of how they behave - stereotypes
Difficult to get rid of label

Question 3

Describe Rosenhan’s first study (1973)

Answer 3

8 mentally healthy participants admitted themselves to different psychiatric hospitals, lying that they had voices
Otherwise they were mentally healthy - no exp.
All were released as in remission
None were identified as frauds
Were asked to identify frauds, none of the pseudo patients were but some real patients were
Conclusion: if labelled with a mental illness, then behaviour will be interpreted as a part of their mental illness

Question 4

Describe Rosenhan’s second study

Answer 4

Rosenhan told staff that there would be pseudo-patients entering the hospital
One doctor identified as many as 41 out of 193 patients as frauds
In reality, there were no frauds - all were real

Question 5

Define: labelling

Answer 5

The process of classifying and naming a mental illness