Mental Health: Breaking the Stigma The Minikahda Club Saturday, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

2015 GIVING WoMN Annual Eye Opener

Mental Health: Breaking the Stigma

The Minikahda Club Saturday, November 7, 2015

Andree Aronson

Director of Development and Organizational Advancement NAMI Minnesota

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Mental Health

State of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of every day life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

World Health Organization

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Mental Illnesses

• Disrupt a person’s thinking, feelings, mood,

ability to relate to others, and daily functioning

• Treatable medical condition
• Biological in nature – brain structure &

chemistry

• Causes - environmental impact, genetics,

negative life experiences

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Mental Illnesses - Very Common

• 1 in 4 adults (1 in 10 for serious)
• 1 in 5 children
• 50% experience symptoms by age 14
• Specifically:
• Depression (7%),
• Bipolar Disorder (3%)
• Schizophrenia (1%)
• Anxiety (18%)

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Mental Health System

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Mental Health System

It’s not broken… It’s never been built

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Closure of Institutions

In 1970, the Nation counted more than 400,000 public psychiatric hospital beds, but by 1998, the number had decreased to just

• ver 63,000, an 85 percent decline.

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Remember Why Institutions Closed

• Warehousing
• Little treatment
• Poor conditions
• Lived there many years

People live in homes not institutions

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Why Dream Wasn’t Realized

• Only half of the mental health centers were

ever built

• None were fully funded
• No money to operate them long-term
• During the Reagan administration, the

remaining funding for the act was converted into a mental-health block grant for states.

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Why Dream Wasn’t Realized

• Discrimination in private insurance – Pre-

existing conditions, lack of coverage, lack of parity

• Discrimination under Medicare – lifetime

limit, lower % for outpatient payments

• Discrimination under Medicaid – no

payment in facilities over 16 beds

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Why Dream Wasn’t Realized

• Stigma – discounted, disgraced, shame
• Prejudice – attitude towards a group such

as fear or incompetence

• Discrimination – behavior directed towards

a group based on prejudice – such as not hiring or renting to someone from that group

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Stigma

…the stigma we face is in many ways more disabling than the illnesses themselves. Patrick Corrigan Author of Don’t Call Me Nuts!

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

How We Visualize Mental Illnesses

• Close your eyes
• Picture a typical person with a mental

illness

• What is their age?
• What do they look like?
• What are they doing?

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

• Older
• Homeless
• Institutionalized
• Disheveled
• Scary looking
• Sad
• Wild eyed

Negative Images

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Real People

Elyn Saks 2009 recipient of MacArthur Genius Grant Ken Barlow KSTP-TV Meteorologist Brandon Marshall Catherine Zeta Jones

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

How We Talk about Mental Illnesses

Yell out or write down five slang words to describe mental illnesses

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination Crazy Nuts Insane Wacko Psycho Demented Deranged Mad Cracked Kookie Loony Maniac Berserk Daft

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

• Write down five slang words to describe

cancer.

• Write down five slang words to describe

heart disease.

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

How We Think About Mental Illnesses

• Afraid
• Rudderless
• Dangerous
• Weak
• Selfish
• Lazy
• Irrational
• Incompetent
• Irresponsible
• Caused their illness
• Violent

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

How We Think About Mental Illnesses

Should be…

• Courageous
• Determined
• Inspirational
• Generous
• Nonviolent

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Television

• Highly correlated with the portrayal of

violent crime.

• Found to be nearly 10 times more violent

than other television characters

• Found to be 10 to 20 times more violent

(during a two week sample) than in reality

• Judged to have a negative impact on society

and a negative quality of life.

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination Freek Energy Drinks Evil Energy

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Psycho Donuts

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Impacts Big & Little Things

• Professionals don’t always include families
• No get well cards
• No hot dishes or help with child care
• Not added to prayer lists
• Can’t get health insurance to cover treatment
• No accommodations at work
• Visiting hours/Caring Bridge

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Poor Outcomes

• People live with their symptoms an average
• f ten years before seeking help
• Only 60% of people with a serious mental

illness actually receive treatment

• Average life span as someone who lives in

Bangladesh – dying over 20 years earlier than peers

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Poor Outcomes

• 90% of people who are homeless have

barriers to living independently, 6/10 people who are long term homeless have a serious mental illness.

• Lowest employment rate: 85% not in the

workforce

• 25% of the US prison system
• 60% of the jail population

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Poor Outcomes

• Increased suspensions – 75%
• Highest drop-out rates – 67.2% EBD

graduate

• 70% in juvenile justice system have one or

more diagnoses

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Poor Outcomes

• Suicide leading cause of violent deaths
• Close to 700 deaths per year in Minnesota
• Three times as many people die by suicide

than by homicide

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Next Steps

• Implement mental health parity
• Continue to build on the investments made

in 2015 by the legislature & Governor

• Early identification & treatment (first

episode programs, school-linked mental health programs)

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Next Steps

• Provide family education and support
• Increase mental health literacy in the

community

• Address workforce shortages
• Provide education and peer support for

people living with mental illnesses

• Pay for evidence-based practices

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Next Steps

• Promote shared decision-making,

engagement

• Provide housing and employment
• Check your language
• Share your story

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

Mental Illnesses: Stigma and Discrimination

NAMI Minnesota 800 Transfer Road, Suite 31

• St. Paul, MN 55114

651-645-2948 1-888-NAMI-HELPS www.namihelps.org