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Changing minds: every family in the land

The coming College campaign to reduce the stigmatization of those with mental disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

A. H. Crisp*
Affiliation:
Campaign Management Committee, Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Records of ill people being stigmatised exist over the centuries, especially individuals with mental disorders and related mental health problems. Ingredients of such stigmatisation include a belief that such disorders are often self-inflicted and resistant to change. Also, the perceptions that those with them are dangerous and present major difficulties in social interaction (Hayward & Bright, 1997). Such stigmatisation then takes many behavioural forms, including abuse and social distancing. These same disorders are common and, overall, they comprise the largest group of health problems in the country today. For a century or more the public has been protected by the existence of mental hospitals. With their closure and the emphasis now on community care, public concern seems to be mounting and stigmatisation of those afflicted worsening.

Type
The College
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Hayward, P. & Bright, J. (1998) Stigma and mental illness: a review critique. Journal of Mental Health, 6, 345354.Google Scholar
Jorm, A. F., Korten, A. E., Jacomb, P. A., et al (1997) Helpfulness of interventions for mental disorders: beliefs of health professionals compared with the general public. British Journal of Psychiatry, 171, 233237.Google Scholar
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