What is stigma?
“Stigma refers to attitudes and beliefs that lead people to reject, avoid, or fear those they perceive as being different.” – from the California Strategic Plan on Reducing Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination
The following information is taken from A Toolkit For Change, done by Michigan Department of Community Health.
Stigma toward mental illness is one of the leading reasons individuals with mental illness do not seek treatment for their conditions.Unfortunately, individuals with mental illness identify mental health providers as one of the top groups by whom they feel stigmatized. Consequently, it is vital that as a mental health system, we “look in the mirror,” start with ourselves, and make it a top priority to acknowledge stigma and reduce it within our own ranks. An action plan developed by our CMH work group so far was to develop two different recovery/stigma surveys,one for consumers and one for staff, for the purpose of gathering data on recovery/stigma levels with both consumers and staff.
The two links below are the results of these surveys.
The anti-stigma work group has reviewed these results and is in the process of developing action plans in an attempt to decrease stigma within our CMH system and in the community.
If you have any input or ideas to help reduce stigma, please contact:
Angel Robles
906-229-6105
Recovery -A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. This definition was taken from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website.