people with mental illness report feeling dehumanized
in a
study
that looked at mental illness-related stigma based on canadian research, the authors found that people living with mental illness
commonly reported feeling “
devalued, dismissed, and dehumanized” by healthcare professionals. they were also left out of decisions, treated in a demeaning way, not given enough information about their condition or options for treatment and spoken to using language that was stigmatizing.
certainly, stigma in healthcare has massive implications on quality of care, creating barriers to access, and also reducing the likelihood that someone who encounters stigma will continue trying to get help.
it also affects
a person’s ability to take their medication the right way, adhere to treatment regimens and follow doctors’ instructions. this, in turn, can leave caregivers holding the bag, making an already difficult job much more difficult.
last week, a colleague shared some of the challenges she was facing caring for her father who, among other serious health issues, struggles with substance use — which, according to
johns hopkins medicine,
is often seen by healthcare professionals as “a personal choice that reflects a lack of willpower and a moral failing.” being a caregiver was hard enough, she said, without having to manage, deflect and fight against the judgment, negative opinions and refusals-to-help of doctors.