This article by Lindsay Holmes looks at how we approach mental health and posits that society’s reaction amounts to discrimination.
Her proposition is that society’s outlook on mental illness doesn’t just result in negative stereotyping, as the term “stigma” implies, but it results in behaviors and policies that actually makes life more difficult for those with mental health challenges. A textbook definition of discrimination.
Solutions include changing the language surrounding mental illness, providing more mental health training for police and first responders, more policies that help people with mental illness get the care they need, and more workplace acceptance and initiatives that support individuals dealing with a psychological issue.