The Stigma and Discrimination of Mental Health

Please no plagiarism and make sure you are able to access all resources on your own before you bid. Main reference comes from Sinacola, R. S., Peters-Strickland, T., & Wyner, J. D. (2020). You need to have scholarly support for any claim of fact or recommendation regarding treatment. Grammar, Writing, and APA Format: I expect you to write professionally, which means APA format, complete sentences, proper paragraphs, and well-organized and well-documented presentation of ideas. Remember to use scholarly research from peer-reviewed articles that are current. Sources such as Wikipedia, Ask.com, PsychCentral, and similar sites are never acceptable. Please remember that resources used must be from peer-reviewed resources such as academic journals. Grammar, Writing, and APA Format: I expect you to write professionally, which means APA format, complete sentences, proper paragraphs, and well-organized and well-documented presentation of ideas. Please follow the instructions to get full credit for the discussion. I need this completed by 12/03/20 at 6pm.

Discussion – Week 1

The Stigma and Discrimination of Mental Health

As you begin this course on psychopharmacology, it is important to highlight the fact that stigma and discrimination are realities that surround the diagnosis and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. Stigma represents the “complex of attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and structures that interact at different levels of society (i.e., individuals, groups, organizations, systems) and manifest in prejudicial attitudes about and discriminatory practices against people with mental and substance use disorders” (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016). Many within your families, social networks, society, and political systems believe that people have control over the onset of mental/substance use disorders and therefore have control over the course of the disorders. Essentially, many believe that these disorders are a result of weakness, character defects, and/or lack of willpower. Many also believe that persons struggling with mental/substance use disorders are more prone to antisocial behaviors, suicidality, and homicidality and/or violence. With almost daily reports of mass shootings and/or public acts of violence, it is understandable that many might arrive at these stigmatizing and discriminatory conclusions. This only highlights your professional responsibility to educate your community about mental illness, substance use, and addictive behavior disorders, while advocating on behalf of your clients and their significant others.

Please check out the flowchart below. The publication that this flowchart comes from Ending Discrimination Against People With Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016) is free to download and can be found at https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23442/ending-discrimination-against-people-with-mental-and-substance-use-disorders. (SEE FLOWCHART)

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016). Understanding stigma of mental and substance use disorders. In Ending discrimination against people with mental and substance use disorders: The evidence for stigma change. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK384923/

Some clinicians struggle with the use of medications for mental health and substance use disorders, thinking that the medications are over-prescribed. Other clinicians feel that medications can lead to dependence, so clients are chasing drugs with drugs. There is a great deal of stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders, including the use of medications to treat the symptoms associated with these disorders.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review Chapter 1 of the textbook.
• Review the media pieces listed in the Learning      Resources.
• Review the expectations in the Discussion Rubric.

By Day 3

Share your personal and professional thoughts on the following three prompts:

• Using your personal lens, where do you stand on the use of medications for treating mental health and substance use disorders?
• Using your professional lens, share three pros of using medications as part of treatment and three cons associated with using medications.
• Using your professional lens, describe your role as a counselor counseling clients who have been prescribed medications for mental health and/or substance use disorders.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.