Primary care concepts: Social attitudes
Social attitude can have a significant impact on how a person with a mental illness/disorder is perceived and treated. Unfortunately negative social attitudes toward people with mental disorders have persisted throughout history. Many of these attitudes include bias, distrust, stereotyping, fear, embarrassment, anger, and/or avoidance. We will spend some time examining these attitudes and where they originated.
Fears and mental illness
Learning Journal? Think about your thoughts and attitudes toward mental illness. What influenced your attitudes? Do you ever talk about issues surrounding mental illness with family or friends?
The best way to investigate what shapes our social attitudes to mental health and mental illness is to look at the historical overview of the treatment of the mentally ill. In the past people with mental illnesses were burnt at the stake, beaten, cast out of their homes, locked in dungeons and until the 1950’s kept away from society in mental health hospitals/asylums.
The treatment of mental illness has been shrouded in fear but at the same time curiosity over the decades. And what about the connection to the moon?
You need to understand all of these concepts so that you can fully understand why there are often such negative attitudes to anything to do with mental health issues and why people feel the need to hide their illness/disorder.
Reading
Meadows G. and Singh B. (2001) Mental health in Australia. Collaborative Community Practice. Oxford University press Sydney Chapter 1.
Gives you some background information on the changes in the treatment and attitudes toward mental health over the centuries.
Activity
Imagine if you had a chronic physical illness (e.g. diabetes), would you discuss your treatment, medications and progress with family and friends? Now imagine you have a major mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia), would you discuss your treatment, medications and progress with family and friends. If there is difference in your answer? Think about why.