Mental Illness and Stigma: Has Psychiatry Done more Harm than Good?

an article from a couple of years ago by Ashima Kanwar (University of Delhi, India) published in Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine Volume 37 Number 3 (April-June 2015)

Abstract

Stigma against people with mental illness is a very complex public health problem. There could be diverse reasons for this ranging from:

1. Lack of awareness;
2. Fear of a dimly-comprehended and much-misunderstood illness;
3. Illogical generalizations; and
4. Disrespect for the heterogeneity of life.

The result-for the mentally ill-could well be diminished access to social determinants of healthcare, employment, and housing. In addition, people with mental illnesses are exposed to numerous health risks such as malnutrition, drug abuse, violence and homelessness. Maybe this explains nondisclosure of illness in an increasingly degenerate civil society.

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