Mental illness-related structural stigma

In the context of mental illness, structural stigma refers to the rules, policies, and practices of social institutions that arbitrarily restrict the rights of, and opportunities for, people with mental illnesses [53,54]. [...] Scholars often cite the fact that many of today’s restrictions of the rights and opportunities of people with mental illnesses are the consequence of a legacy of underfunded research and treatment for mental illnesses, relative to other health conditions [67,68], combined with modern preoccupations with cost-effectiveness in healthcare. [...] As was articulated by the Supreme Court of Canada’s Justice Abella in a case involving job accommodations for an individual with a disability: “It is the link between that group membership and the arbitrariness of the disadvantaging criterion or conduct, either on its face or in its impact, that triggers the possibility of a remedy. [...] The primary ways in which mental illness-related structural stigma manifests in the healthcare system are through insufficient funding of mental health services and research, the coercive philosophy of care that underpins the delivery of mental health services, and the unprofessional practices of mental health professionals. [...] Some of these problems have been attributed to the substandard mental health and social services available to people with mental illnesses in correctional settings and in the community.