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Addressing Stigma: The Importance of Cultural Relevance and Early Intervention
The stigma surrounding mental illness can take a huge toll on children, youth, adults, and families with mental health concerns. Addressing stigma not only helps the individual, but the entire community. Eliminating discrimination that is caused by stigma can lead to improved opportunities for...
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Destigmatizing Mental Illness: Music Therapy in the Clinical Outpatient Realm
Destigmatizing mental illness through the power of music in clinical mental health treatment therapy combined with peer support can be beneficial to achieving transformation within the current paradigm in mental health. The effects of stigma are felt most by disregarded communities who tend to be...
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Mental Health in BIPOC Communities: How to Reduce Stigma and Barriers
Much of the stigma around mental health stems from crisis situations. We fear people who seem out of control, especially when we don’t know how to support them. For Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), social disparities can compound that fear. During my career, I’ve worked in...
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Overcoming Stigma to Create More Inclusive Communities
April is Autism Awareness Month and World Autism Day was April 2, 2023. These observances create important opportunities to break down existing biases and build more inclusive communities where all people are valued for their unique abilities. While greater awareness is needed to foster...
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Mental Health Stigmas in the Black Community
In 2019, the Center of Disease Control and Prevention reported that 47,500 US citizens committed suicide (Suicide, 2022). Of this 47,500, over half identified as Black. This is an estimate of 4 out of 6 suicides committed by People of Color (POC) and 2 out of 6 being Caucasian, Hispanic, and other...
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The NYSPA Report – Insurance Circular Letter No. 1 (2023): A New Tool in the Fight Against Stigma
In 2022, the United States Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services issued a joint report entitled “2022 MHPAEA Report to Congress - Realizing Parity, Reducing Stigma, and Raising Awareness: Increasing Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Coverage.” The Report...
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PSA Addresses Mental Health Stigma in the Latino Community
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC), which has been providing support to families and individuals affected by mental illness for over 40 years, has developed culturally responsive programs to help address the mental health needs of the Latino community. Our Helpline...
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Countering Stigma Through Education and Outreach
Stigma around mental illness remains an all-too-common occurrence, despite the increased availability of information about mental illnesses and the national discourse on prioritizing mental well-being. While we have made great strides in understanding mental illness, false perceptions of weakness,...
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Co-Creating an Equitable Crisis Care Continuum to Reduce Stigma
People are in pain. We are experiencing an onslaught of public health crises that is affecting our overall functioning. The fierce urgency of now to collectively move us to a space of wellness is imperative to our quality of life. The current crisis care continuum is not designed to meet the needs...
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Mental Health and Families: Working Together to Strengthen and Support Loved Ones
Having a family member diagnosed with a mental illness can cause great stress and a deep sense of isolation. Mental health challenges are difficult to open up about because of the fear of judgment, believing that no one will understand. Relationships with family and friends can be difficult to...
