Our attitudes to mental health are changing but much of the stigma that surrounds conditions such as schizophrenia remains – along with some enduring and often damaging untruths
There can be little doubt that public attitudes to mental health have already turned a corner. Just consider the sheer number of public figures – from Robbie Williams and Lady Gaga to Baroness Davidson – who have opened up about their struggles.
According to one analysis of English newspapers, the number of articles stigmatising mental illness roughly halved between 2008 and 2016, while those challenging that stigma roughly doubled over the same period. And that seems to be having a positive impact on day-to-day experiences of prejudice – people with mental illness now report markedly less discrimination from family, friends and colleagues compared to just a few years ago.
Despite this progress, some myths about mental illnesses are still widely shared, including false claims about the efficacy of treatments. Here are six of the most prevalent beliefs, and the truth behind them.
Let’s begin with the idea that people are mistaking everyday distress for a clinical disorder. The claim is a favourite of TV personalities and newspaper columnists, who periodically claim that the increased focus on mental health is reducing people’s self-reliance, so that they turn to medical interventions, rather than addressing the problems in their lives.
In reality, there is very...
Albany, NY (WRGB) — A Poughkeepsie man who previously went to federal prison for an insurance fraud scheme is now facing new federal charges after investigators say he ran a similar operation agai...