According to the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA), many organizations are implementing "stigma interventions" to educate the public and hopefully minimize ignorance and discrimination. An example of a "stigma intervention" is a film shown in Germany called "White Noise". It followed a young schizophrenic and aimed to facilitate a public understanding of what a person with schizophrenia does and endures on a day to day basis. "Open the Doors" currently educates people in over 27 countries around the world. The "Open the Doors" campaign has been running in Germany since 1999. The common citizen frequently does not fully understand the disease in regards to symptoms, causes, and treatment options. In many cases, stigma and discrimination stems from ignorance.
Before formulating ways to help the public understand the disease, the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) took an array of polls to gain a better understanding the stereotypes, misconceptions, and concerns that people had with schizophrenics. An example of one of these is the graph shown below. The poll was taken in six major German cities, Dusseldorf, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Berlin, and Essen. A total of 7246 citizens answered these questions. The data confirms that the closer the relationship with the schizophrenic, the increased concerns people have. According to the CPA, only ten percent admitted to being scared to speak to someone with schizophrenia, however 70% said they would not marry someone with schizophrenia.
Stigmatization of schizophrenics commonly inhibits progress for the patient. The CPA describes some of the struggles as social distancing, exclusion, and being at a disadvantage in compete for jobs and housing. This can be true for any mental illness, but in particular for schizophrenics, stigma can lead to chronic and permanent social impairment. Schizophrenics commonly suffer from the need for day to day help and the yearning for independence. Accepting or asking for help can be delayed because of a concern of being judged for the need of psychiatric help. Other studies done by the CPA show that stigma causes reduced self-esteem and reduced life-satisfaction.
Kendall, this is a really interesting topic––one I’d definitely like to know more about. Reading this made me realize that I’m not entirely innocent of stigmatizing schizophrenics. I’d love to learn more and I look forward to reading your next online journal! Anyways, you write really well. I liked that your image is a graph; polls and other sources of data are always really helpful in convincing the audience of your argument. That being said, I’m not too clear on what your thesis is. Based on the chart, I’m assuming it’s that schizophrenics are discriminated against by the uneducated public.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, you write really well. From what I can see, there were no run-on sentences and you incorporated your sources very nicely. There were just a few proofreading errors. For example, “being at a disadvantage in compete for jobs” in the third paragraph and a comma in “7246” in the second. And when using quotations (as you do in the first paragraph), make sure that the second mark goes after the period. Also, I think that your final sentence could have been a little stronger. But, since it most likely won’t be the final sentence of your entire research paper, I don’t think it’s too big of a deal.
Kendall, I agree with everything Shannon writes, both about the writing and the content. I'm not really sure what the argument is, or will be. I'm particularly puzzled by the statistic about marriage. This stat is not surprising to me. This assignment wasn't really about arguing a point, so you don't need to worry about this particular online journal. However, as you continue to write, you need to make sure that your thesis is clear and that all of the evidence you introduce - including your image - contributes to that thesis. See me if you have questions.
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