Updated on 2/3/2023
There are more effective treatment options for substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders than ever before. However, every year thousands of people die from untreated SUD or suicide related to untreated mental health conditions. Many more experience a substandard quality of life due to a lack of treatment for these disorders. With help available, why are many people still not seeking treatment for SUD and mental health issues? Reasons vary depending on the individual and their circumstances, but many people will not seek treatment because of the stigma surrounding these disorders.
What Is Stigma?
There has been a lot of conversation regarding SUD stigma and mental illness, but what does stigma mean? The American Psychological Association (APA) Dictionary of Psychology defines sigma as “the negative social attitude attached to a characteristic of an individual that may be regarded as a mental, physical, or social deficiency. A stigma implies social disapproval and can lead unfairly to discrimination against and exclusion of the individual.”
Even today, people with SUD are still blamed for their illness, and people with mental health disorders are often considered weak. These erroneous beliefs persist despite evidence that substance use and mood disorders are complex, affected by multiple biopsychosocial components.
Factors Influencing Stigma of SUD and Mental Health Disorders
The factors that influence stigma are complicated and exist on structural, public and individual levels. These factors include:
- Blame: People with SUD are seen as being more responsible for their condition than people with a mental health disorder. Therefore, blame can negatively influence attitudes regarding the appropriateness of public funding of treatment programs.
- Stereotypes: The stereotypes that people with mood disorders and SUD are unpredictable and dangerous continues to persist, including in the United States.
- Misinformation: Knowledge about mental health disorders and SUD can positively influence public norms, but misinformation persists even among healthcare providers.
- Contact and experience: Immediate social contact and experience with SUD and mental health disorders will change a person’s opinions and understanding, but not necessarily decrease stigmas surrounding the issues.
- Media portrayals: The ideas and images about mood disorders and SUD can have a strong influence on the ideas and beliefs of the public. Unfortunately, many of these portrayals encourage negative beliefs and increase stigma toward people living with these disorders. However, there is a slow positive change in this area.
- Race, ethnicity and culture: Although sociodemographic factors strongly affect a wide variety of social beliefs, the relationship between these factors and stigma is less clear. What is clear is that minorities access care for these disorders at a lower rate. When they do seek treatment, the care they get is often suboptimal.
Dismantling Stigma
For change to occur and the dismantling of stigma to happen, we must target it on every level. On the structural level, that would begin with legislators, institutions and organizations. Strategies would be aimed at changing decision-making processes, policies and regulations that support discrimination against people with mental health disorders and SUD.
On the public level, mass education about destigmatizing these disorders may help. Media could serve as a helpful tool by promoting messages that dispel myths about SUD and mental health illness while bringing awareness to the unfair treatment of this population.
On the individual level, we can promote self-esteem and self-efficacy. Programs such as peer support and mentoring programs can help individuals on their recovery journey. Teaching coping skills and providing education to dispel myths about these disorders can assist individuals as well.
While we still have a long road ahead of us, steps are being made to decrease the stigma around people with mental health illnesses and SUD and increase access to effective treatment. If we pull together to work on tearing down stigma, focus on helping people with these disorders and increasing our understanding of the disorders, change can happen.
Help is available at Casa Palmera. Here you will find industry-leading, holistic treatment for mental health, co-occurring and substance use disorders. We work with our patients to determine underlying issues and create a comprehensive, individualized treatment plan to serve as a roadmap for your recovery journey. We offer an aftercare plan, relapse prevention classes, alumni events and we even have an app that will help you maintain your sobriety. Call us today at (855) 508-0473 to learn more about our treatment options at our beautiful location in Del Mar, California.
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