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A Paradigm Shift: Addressing Two Misrecognitions About the Stigma of Mental Illness
The stigma of mental illness has proven to be persistent and stubbornly immune to a wide range of stigma-reducing campaigns, programs, and interventions. The intensity of stigma varies by diagnosis, with depression and anxiety being less stigmatizing than, for example, schizophrenia and bipolar...
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Mental Health in Schools: Moving Stigma Out in the Open
Since the start of the pandemic, rates of psychological distress and chronic mental health issues among young people have increased. In New York, state officials estimate that one in five children ages 2-17 has one or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental condition while approximately...
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How the NYS Office of Mental Health is Addressing and Reducing Stigma
Stigma towards individuals living with mental illness still permeates our society today. Stigma remains a major reason individuals and families don’t seek help when they are having emotional problems. The public stigma surrounding mental illness, often perpetuated by sensationalized media...
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Increased Access to Telehealth as a Means of Reducing Stigma
The Random House College Dictionary defines stigma as “a stain or reproach, as on one’s reputation.”1 Dictionary.com adds to this definition “a mark of disgrace or infamy.”2 In the context of mental health, stigma means a negative perception of mental illness, which has long served as a...
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There Is Hope
People with mental illness have long experienced prejudice and discrimination. To stigmatize someone is to regard them worthy of disgrace or great disapproval. For the individual who is struggling to maintain their overall health and wellness a stigma poses a barrier to them being a member of the...
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A Real and Present Danger in the Fight Against Stigma
By many measures we have achieved considerable progress in combatting stigma and its insidious effects. Persons who experience behavioral health challenges are now more inclined to pursue treatment without incurring the reputational risks they might have borne in prior years. We regularly encourage...
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Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) Clients Share Their Lived Experiences of Stigma
During the month of May, we at the St. Vincent’s Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) program participated in the observance of Mental Health Month. The topic “Mental Health Stigma” was so timely in the face of current events taking place in our society. This particular...
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How We as Practitioners Can Foster Stigma
Practitioners, despite our best intentions, may unconsciously foster stigma by downplaying or not recognizing the ways in which power dynamics, implicit bias, stereotypes, and lack of cultural humility can all build barriers to care. To illustrate the stigmatizing potential of a...
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Internalized Stigma
Stigma around mental health is not an unfamiliar conversation in professional circles and, thanks to the hard work of countless teams and individuals, stigma is becoming a more common conversation in our communities, albeit a recent conversation. Prior to this work, stigma didn’t have a context...
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The Transformative Power of Families Helping Families
“I can now see that my loved one and their mental illness are separate.” I was fortunate to hear this powerful insight recently from one of NAMI-NYC’s participating family members. The National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) is built on the transformative power of...
