How to de-stigmatize mental illness: start with kids.
Mental illness is arguably one of the leading causes of global disease burden. In the USA approximately 1 in 5 adults experiences mental illness in a given year, and in the UK it’s 1 in 4. Further, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 10–20% of children and adolescents worldwide experience mental disorders; which equates to 1 or 2 out of 10.
Stigma, both internal and from external sources, can negatively affect the quality of life lived by those who suffer from mental illness. And while therapies and medications can do a world of good, de-stigmatization can minimize the shame which affects their lives.
One way of promoting de-stigmatization is through strategically including mental health education in school/university curricula.
The concept of education as a tool to de-stigmatize mental illness is not a new one. And there is surely still hope for the present generation of adults to unlearn stigma. However, it makes sense that inhibiting stigma before there is even a chance for it to be learned is a strong option in the societal quest for equality and equity for those struggling with mental disabilities. Indeed, the WHO comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2020 emphasizes the need to include children in mental health considerations.
While the prospect of introducing children to this subject matter might be met with raised eyebrows by some, I posit that teaching them key concepts around mental hygiene at an age-appropriate level within an atmosphere of openness will achieve three aims:
Firstly, children will have foundational knowledge of mental hygiene which in future (or at present) may come in handy in helping them recognize illness they may be experiencing. Second, they may also likely recognize mental illness in others. And third, knowledge passed across correctly could go a long way in not only demystifying mental illness but eradicating some of the layers of fear surrounding it. Taken together this could help the next generation evolve with significantly lower levels of stigma surrounding mental illness than what we presently live with.
But in terms of mental health school programmes how much is too much, and how do we measure impact?
Curriculum content, implementation strategy, and metrics for impact measurement thereafter can be synthesized by an interdisciplinary team comprising those with lived experience of mental illness, mental health experts (including child psychologists), physical well-being educators/carers (such as sports coaches, disability officers and nutritionists), social workers, parents/guardians, teachers, cultural bodies, health organizations, and policy makers at international and national levels to ensure the highest level of quality control.
Before embarking on such an educational programme we first of all need to fully understand stigma and its interplay with the diagnosing, labeling, and categorizing of mental illness. Psychotherapist Dr. John McDonald emphasizes that it is critical to ensure that we don’t simply create an acceptance of the occurrence of stigma without having an impact on the actual process of stigmatizing:
‘Stigmatizing seems to have a function; it limits, restricting certain expressions and ways of being. Stigma creates a right and wrong. Perhaps our ideas of mental health are like this too. In diagnosing clusters of thinking, feeling and experience as “ill” or not right, the same limiting can happen. I think the drive to stigmatize arises from an experience of discomfort in relation to a behaviour, an expression, a thought; aiming to limit or remove it. To de-stigmatize requires us to feel and acknowledge our reactions to the stigmatizing behaviour as well as our impulses to limit or distance ourselves from it’.
While efforts are ongoing and (hopefully) increasing to de-stigmatize mental illness in the present day, there is a need to extend these to the younger generation. And indeed, an online search engine will reveal pockets where these efforts are already underway. However, a greater impact could be attained with a concerted effort. This would mean that individuals in positions of influence proactively seek out opportunities and means to engage with and act upon the WHO mandate.
