CBS News ran this fascinating poll on mental illness. I’d argue that there aren’t many surprises in the poll, but I got two key takeaways.
First, to summarize the findings:
- 51% of Americans say that people living with a mental illness face “a lot” of stigma and discrimination – 31% say “some.”
- 38% of people say that mental illness stigma has gotten better, 22% say worse, and the rest say that it hasn’t changed.
- 66% of people say that mental illness is a very serious public health problem – 28% say somewhat serious.
- People do believe that mental illness is a real medical condition (79%). Roughly 2/3 of those polled also said that virtually anyone can get a mental illness and most people who are treated right can lead productive lives.
- A mere 12% of people say that services for the mentally ill are adequate – but 49% said they are not.
- A whopping 77% of people say that celebrities speaking about mental illness are doing a good thing – only 18% said no.
- 73% of Americans know someone diagnosed with a mental health disorder (I guarantee that number is higher and people just hid their own mental illnesses), while 58% said that they had a family member who sought care for mental health (again, I’m sure that number is higher).
So, here’s what I got out of this. First, those support numbers are just overwhelming. 66% of people think mental illness is a “very serious” public health problem. 28% say it is at least “somewhat serious.” That’s 95% of the American public who think that mental illness is at least somewhat serious. That is not a small number! The key question is this: What does that translate to? Are people willing to dedicate more time and money to mental health care? Or is this simply a, “Gee, that sucks…moving right along” sort of things?
At the bare minimum, it is good to know that people understand just what a major problem mental illness is.
Second, the stigma questions got me thinking: What if the stigma is all self imposed? I mean, take a look again at that top finding. 51% of people think individuals with mental illness face “a lot” of stigma, while 35% say they face “some” stigma. That is not a small number. But if that many people think stigma is so real, what’s really the problem here? People who acknowledge stigma is real must also have stigma-inducing thoughts, right? Or, what if the stigma is just the fear of being stigmatized? Or self-stigma? I’ve always thought that self-stigma is a bigger problem then actual stigma.
The findings, in my mind, mean that we have to rethink our traditional definition of mental health stigma, because I don’t think that a traditional understanding of, “People with mental illness sure do face a lot of stigma” is enough.
But, as always, I ask: What do you think? What are your thoughts on this poll? Let us know in the comments!
Mike Schlossberg - Author 