Greater awareness the key to removing ‘stigma’ of mental illness

It’s estimated that 25% of the population of Ireland (estimated at 4.1m people, July 2007) will suffer from a mental health issue at some point in their lives. This statistic, featured in a recent advertising campaign, demonstrates the extent of the illness in the wider population. Yet there is a marked lack of awareness and acceptance of this condition in our society generally.

Some people with a mental health issue will only be affected for a few weeks, others a few months. In certain instances, though, people will live with it for a few years or even decades. Approximately 400,000 people, or nearly 10% of the population, suffer from some form of mental illness on a regular basis. Put another way, one in ten of the folk on the street, going about their business as per normal, are in this category.

Even in the worst case scenarios, however, it’s quite feasible that only a limited group of family/friends will really know the full truth. Colleagues at work may know that the person has been off work for a period or periods – but perhaps no more than that.

So why aren’t the general public more aware of this issue? Why does a black cloud still surround it?

A sizeable stigma obviously still persists when it comes to mental health, which seriously impedes the disclosure of the details of the condition by individuals. This stigma affects the communication of the issue to friends, people in work, wider family members and even GPs. In turn, it leads to a lack of understanding and acceptance, and a certain mystification of the condition, amongst the wider public.

Organisations like Aware are doing great work to spread awareness of mental health issues and, in particular, to help people with depression. However, I hope that the current round of media advertising will lead to a better awareness and understanding of the issue by the general public.

Essentially, people fear what they don’t understand. The more informed people are, the less fear there will be of people with these conditions. We must get to a point where it’s just as normal and accepted to say you are depressed as it is to say you have arthritis or high blood pressure. If this item can, in some small way, aid the aims of this advertising campaign, then I feel it will be worthwhile.

It’s important to realise that, for many people, the matter is a long-term one requiring continuous treatment. Most importantly of all, it’s not the choice of the person/patient. He/she is just living with a mental illness – the illness doesn’t define them. We are all far more than our ailments.



PATRICK MERCER (Pseudonym)