| Stigma Of Mental Illness May Be Due To Normal and Useful Attributes Leading Our Attitudes Astray | ||||||||
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Recognition of the stigma that may be associated with a particular condition, such as mental illness, often brings with it the assumption that it (stigma) must be eradicated, that those who hold stigmatizing views are ignorant (if not evil), and that new anti-discrimination laws and/or a massive campaign to increase public awareness represent the proper steps to take. An alternative explanation is that this model may not always lead to an improvement in the lives of persons who have a mental illness. Furthermore, that it might be better for all concerned if we were to recognize that the tendency to group ideas and form stereotypes is an essential skill that we use on a daily basis to help us understand our world and make good decisions as we work our way through it. Often enough, though, we over- generalize and come to incorrectly believe people grouped together on the basis of one attribute are the same, or similiar, on many other important characteristics. This is more likely to occur when we believe that we are under threat, increasing the | |||||||
likelihood that we will wish to take action, and to do so without
confirming the truth of our perceptions. Thus, it is suggested that to alter this situation the focus should be on increasing the opportunities for clear thinking. Protection and improvement of our laws and customs that currently provide a good framework for decision-making and "sober second thought" should be complemented by the development of critical thinking skills early in childhood. This, instead of the global notions and unclear solutions that are engendered by anti-stigma campaigns and punitive laws. Source: Thompson AH (2006). Normal thinking and problem-solving as the underpinning of stigma. Bulletin of the International Federation of Psychiatric Epidemiology 4(2), 2-6. Click here for a copy of the full paper (60 kb) |
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