Stigma, discrimination and mental illness (original) (raw)

In line with the general remit of the journal to produce useful high quality papers on issues of importance to users of mental health services, this issue of the Journal of Mental Health is devoted to stigma, discrimination and mental illness. As many of us who work in the mental health field know, individuals with mental illness experience the double-edged sword of managing both their illness and the negative attitudes and behaviours from the community. It has an effect on all aspects of their lives. There is evidence of less favourable social interactions, discrimination in work opportunities and housing as well as their access to health care. Some of this discrimination results from a genuine misunderstanding of the nature of mental ill health but in other cases, the stereotype of particularly severe mental illness has been so absorbed and framed in all types of media that it seems almost impossible to dispel these myths in the general public. This issue is devoted to research that may help in this endeavour.