Today I was reminded as I read an article in the Huffington Post that addressed it. Mental Health advocate DJ Jaffe brings up an important distinction.
Jaffe explains that although the purpose of Mental Health Awareness is to educate others and reduce stigma. However, he points out that there is a difference between stigma and discrimination.
The mentally ill population are discriminated against.
Anti-stigma campaigns such as the Mental Illness Awareness week is an attempt to influence others so that they will believe that the mentally ill are just like them and are capable of functioning well in society.
I agree with Jaffe that often by attempting to reduce stigma our mental health organizations are simply downplaying the real issues that the mentally ill face.
I've often heard fellow mental health professionals complain about how so many lameman individuals focus on the percentage that acts out in violence. Many attempt to counter these concerns by focusing on those that are higher functioning.
This is ultimately a harmful effort as it minimizes the need of funding and various programs designed for the mentally ill population. Additionally, attempting to make the mentally ill look like a prettier picture allows insurance companies to continue to turn a blind eye. Insurance companies today focus on medical issues and ignore mental health issues as if they were any less important.
Most funding goes to the "worried well" which are individuals who have general low grade depression and/or anxiety. I am not at all minimizing the needs of these folks and nor am I stating that "low grade" is not worthy of attention. I am aware that what the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) considers "low grade" is still quite painful and difficult to cope with.
Jaffe suggests that a federal definition of “serious mental illness” be created so that would federal programs purporting to serve the seriously mentally ill population would actually do so instead of serving people who are “just like you and me”.
Mental Illness Awareness Week does not even officially exist anymore. Congress declared it in 1989 due to the urging of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI continues to celebrate it however it was discontinued. Eventually it was reenacted in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993 but Congress has dropped it's interest and the week is no longer official.
Jaffe offers some important and disappointing statistics. Current statistics report that there are 150,000 homeless mentally ill, 231,000 incarcerated mentally ill, 5,000 who comitted suicide in the last year and 70,000 in state psychiatric hospitals.
I work with the mentally ill every day and I can tell you that there are indeed many brilliant and kind people that experience severe mental illness. However, it is important to also acknowledge those that are indeed violent, those who are registered sex offenders and those who are extremely low functioning.
I think that it is important to educate others but to refrain from sugar coating the issue of mental illness. Rather than attempting to gain sympathy I would rather strive for empathy.
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