stigma Archives - Mediarabe

Beyond the Stigma: Mental health challenges at college during a pandemic (Commentary)

October 13, 2020

Jim Malatras has been the chancellor of the State University of New York system since August 2020. From July 2019 until his appointment as chancellor, he was president of SUNY’s Empire State College.

There is often a lot of pressure and anxiety that comes with being a college student. While mental health issues among college students are not new, the Covid-19 pandemic is exacerbating them. In a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in late June, 63% of 18-to-24-year-olds reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the prevalence of depression among graduate and professional students is two times higher in 2020 compared to 2019.

But like the great diversity of our students at one of our 64 campuses across the state, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Institutions must enlist health professionals in their community, maximize touchpoints and support layers, mobilize young people who want to

Transgenders who experience stigma are more likely to have poor mental health outcomes

October 12, 2020

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Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Oct 12 2020

A University of Waikato study has found that transgender people who have experienced stigma, including harassment, violence, and discrimination because of their identity are much more likely to have poor mental health outcomes.

Based on the responses of 1,178 people who completed a national Aotearoa/New Zealand survey, the findings published in the International Journal of Transgender Health, also show that over half (51%) of transgender people had been discriminated against for being transgender.

A team of experts from Waikato, and the University of Otago, assessed the results of the 2018 ‘Counting Ourselves’ survey – a nationwide community-based questionnaire of transgender people living in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Specifically, the team analysed the extent that stigma and discriminatory experiences alongside protective factors such as the support of friends, family, neighbours and communities, are related to the mental health of transgender people in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Taraji P. Henson Wants to End Stigma Around Mental Health in Black Communities

October 9, 2020

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A couple of years ago, Taraji P. Henson was searching — and struggling — to find a therapist for herself and her son.

“It was hard finding therapists who were culturally competent,” the actress told ‘Marie Claire” editor-in-chief Sally Holmes. “It’s not that they don’t exist. But pooling them together and finding them is quite daunting.”

The conversation was hosted via “Marie Claire’s” invite-only Power On Summit. The now virtual gathering included conversations from Gabrielle Union, Vanessa Pappas, Stephanie Ruhle and many more. Henson’s headline talk was a frank discussion about mental health and revealed why she decided to launch The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation with her best friend. The actress and producer saw a demand for an organization that seeks to eradicate the stigma around mental health issues specifically in the Black community.

“We have trust issues when it comes to the medical industry, especially when it comes to

Borderline personality disorder patient addresses stigma

October 9, 2020

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Sarah Coulthard-Evans was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder 10 years ago. (Supplied: Sarah Coulthard-Evans)

A woman with borderline personality disorder (BPD) is keen to dispel the misconception patients are a danger to others.

Sarah Coulthard-Evans, 36, was diagnosed 10 years ago after doctors repeatedly dismissed her symptoms as depression.

Having self-harmed and even attempted suicide several times, Coulthard-Evans was eventually sectioned.

Years of therapy allowed her to “heal massively and make sense of what happened in her life”.

Read more: Self-harm more common among teens who start puberty early

Coulthard-Evans, who lives in Northampton, moved into supported accommodation in the community on 18 March, just five days before lockdown.

Now in a better place, Coulthard-Evans manages her disorder with medication, monthly calls with a psychiatrist and plenty of sleep.

Coulthard-Evans hopes to raise awareness of BPD, stressing patients are “more dangerous to themselves than anyone else”.

Coulthard-Evans' symptoms led to her initially being told she had depression. (Supplied: Sarah Coulthard-Evans) — Coulthard-Evans’ symptoms led to

Hints From Heloise: Erase the stigma of mental health issues

October 8, 2020

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Don’t be afraid to seek help for yourself or for someone you love.

Dear Heloise: I streamline my day onto one sheet of paper. I write down appointments, phone calls I need to make, what my kids have scheduled, work tasks I need to accomplish or what’s for dinner, on one page each day. It makes it easy to have everything laid out before me, and at the end of the day, I have a sense of accomplishment as I toss out the marked-off list.

Dear Heloise: I applaud your recent column on creating necessary bags for homeless people. A former homeless young woman said she really needed socks when she lived on the streets, especially in fall and winter. It’s just another way to bless someone.

Dear Heloise: After I dry a load of towels, I put the dryer on (while empty) for about five minutes. This blows out

For Pregnant Women, Stigma Complicates Opioid Misuse Treatment

October 6, 2020

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New and expectant mothers face unique challenges when seeking treatment for an opioid use disorder. On top of preparing for motherhood, expectant mothers often face barriers to accessing treatment, which typically involves taking safer opioids to reduce dependency over time. The approach is called medication assisted therapy, or MAT, and is a key component in most opioid treatment programs.

But with pregnant women, providers can be hesitant to administer opiate-based drugs.

According to a study out of Vanderbilt University, pregnant women are 20% more likely to be denied medication assisted therapy than non-pregnant women.

“In the beginning, I was so scared as a new provider to write my first prescription for medication assisted therapy to pregnant women,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak of the Wright Center for Community Health in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The health center serves low-income individuals who are underinsured or lack insurance altogether, many of whom struggle with opioid

NAMIWalks Chicago 2020 event goes virtual with same message: End mental health care stigma

October 4, 2020

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CHICAGO (WLS) — This year’s NAMIWalks event will look different, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but its goal remains the same.

NAMIChicago has held the annual NAMIWalks event for a decade as a way for participants to make connections and raise money for mental wellness supports within the Chicago community.

NAMIChicago CEO Alexa James joined ABC 7 Chicago Sunday to talk about this year’s event.

The goal of NAMIChicago’s 2020 event is to create a movement to encourage connection and end the stigma around mental health care.

RELATED: September is National Suicide Prevention Month; NAMIChicago discusses awareness

Learn more about the event and donate at namichicago.org/walk.

Donations will go toward supporting the NAMIChicago free helpline, which is fielding more calls than ever as a result of the increased stress and trauma of the pandemic; NAMIChicago’s community education and support group programs; and NAMIChicago’s advocacy work, James said.

At noon

Stigma from providers interferes with treating addiction

October 2, 2020

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“It was dehumanizing,” Slade Skaggs told us about how health care providers treated him when he turned to them for help with his substance use disorder. “They made me feel like I was drug-seeking and that I was not deserving of their time or care.”

Fortunately, he finally got the help he needed and is now in recovery, serving as a peer-support specialist for others with substance use disorders.

Stigma — society’s negative attitudes and behaviors towards individuals because of their substance use disorders — propagated by people working in health care causes feelings of shame, limits access to care, and ultimately contributes to vicious cycles of addiction. This is particularly true for people living with opioid use disorder.

In the setting of Covid-19 and physical distancing, it is more important than ever to dismantle such stigma and develop effective continuums of care for vulnerable patients, including those with

Trump’s attack on Hunter Biden underscores ‘harmful stigma’ of addiction

October 1, 2020

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Remarks like these perpetuate “a harmful stigma,” said Mark Sutton, spokesman for the nonprofit Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates for the decriminalization of drug use.

“At a time when we have approximately 70,000 people in the United States dying per year from accidental overdose, it is unconscionable that someone vying for our highest elected office would be so willing to throw people struggling with substance-use disorder under the bus,” he added.

Federal data shows that roughly 1 in 10 American adults — or 23 million people — have struggled with a drug-use disorder at some point in their lives. Such a diagnosis is “based on a list of symptoms including craving, withdrawal, lack of control, and negative effects on personal and professional responsibilities,” according to the National Institutes of Health. Drug abuse is not necessarily illicit — many people addicted to opioids obtain them legally through a doctor’s prescription, for

Black community’s elevated stigma surrounding mental health issues rooted in history

September 28, 2020

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SAN ANTONIO – Mental health issues are mounting in the wake of COVID-19, making it a priority discussion nationwide.

However, some racial groups are historically hesitant to seek help.

Local psychologist Dr. Eboney Jackson said the stigma of mental illness and seeking counseling is prevalent in the black community.

She said although it’s slowly getting better, the barriers are rooted in historical, structural racism.

For Jackson, breaking the stigma of mental healthcare in the black community comes from a very personal place.

“Many therapists and psychologists such as myself got into this field because we want people who look like us to know that it’s okay to get help, and maybe people are more comfortable seeing someone who looks like them,” she said.

Dr. Jackson wrote her whole dissertation on the subject. The reasons are expansive and she said they originate from institutional racism throughout history.

“Thinking about the Tuskegee

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