Stigma, the hidden killer

Self-stigma relates to internalized negative stereotypes that lead people with mental illness and their families to adopt attitudes of self-loathing and self-blame leading the a sense of helplessness and hopelessness. [...] Mental health and illness in the media: A review of the literature. [...] Stigma: The Hidden Killer ©. May, 2006 the media is such that it represents the primary source of information about mental illness for the general public.10 Consumers report that these ubiquitous and misleading portraits further damage their mental health and self-esteem.11 Inaccurate portrayals of symptoms and a general tone of hopelessness further contribute to misunderstanding and harm even whe [...] You see, at night the lights from the houses in the community shine through the windows of the mental institution. [...] As a result of limited attention for the issue of mental illness, patients, families, researchers and providers are forced to make do with poor prognoses, predictions of chronicity and limited hope.27 Stigma as an economic drain on health resources and on the Canadian economy: Mental disorders contribute more to the global burden of disease than all cancers combined.28 The most common cause of vio