Universal Tale of Woe –
OCTOBER 25, 2019 – The negative impact of prejudice — such as racial or gender bias — which can lead to discrimination, crime and injustice, has deservedly received great media attention in recent years. Yet, stigma with respect to mental illness is far less widely discussed. Stigma is a mark of shame or discredit. It results in labeling and setting a person apart from others, so they are seen as part of a stereotyped group and not as an individual. Negative attitudes and beliefs about stigmatized groups create prejudice, which can lead to negative consequences and discrimination in the workplace and in one’s social network. One of the most frequent reasons people with depression do not seek treatment are is they do not want others to find out they are suffering from depression.
