**3.3. Negative consequences of stigma in mental disorders**

Stigma has negative consequences for the individual in society. The stigma applied to individuals with mental disorders causes new difficulties in the individual's treatment process. Some of the symptoms of mental illness such as reluctance, lack of motivation, low motivation, and loss of self-confidence lead individuals to withdraw to their own world. While individuals try to cope with the symptoms of illness, they also have to cope with the discriminatory behavior of being stigmatized by the society. Individuals who tend to withdraw from society because of their mental illness that tends to withdraw more out of society when exposed to stigma [1].

Stigma, in mental disorders, negatively affect their confidence in themselves, their participation in the treatment, their working lives, their use of social opportunities, their ability to defend their rights in criminal justice systems, and their participation in daily life activities [33]. Concern for exposure to stigmatization leads individuals and families with mental disorders to be hesitant about treatment. This causes them not to start treatment or to leave it at the start of treatment. Failure to provide regular treatment affects the individual with mental disease recovery process badly [8]. Stigma affects many areas in the daily life of individuals. One of these is a working life. For example, employers are reluctant to recruit because they see it as aggressive, dangerous, frightening, and unreliable. At the same time, they can use insulting words in business life and question their business performance. These thoughts and behaviors prevent individuals with mental disorders from participating in the working life. Moving away from working life leads to new problems such as not being able to be in society. This situation is causing their confidence to be shaken [34].

severe mental disorders. In a study by Watson, Corrigan, and Ottati [37] investigating the stigmatizing attitude of police officers, it has been shown that an individual with mental impairment is perceived as more dangerous. At the same time, it was revealed that the information given during the query was not reliable. While being in the criminal proceedings is difficult enough even for individuals without mental disorders, this process is more difficult for individuals and families with mental disorders and negatively affects the healing process. The stigma negatively affects the quality of life's the parents, spouses, siblings, caregivers, and people in close proximity to individuals with mental disorders. In a study by Phelan et al. [38], it was shown that families of people with mental disorders tend to conceal mental impairment from other people. Due to mental disorders in their families, they are exposed to social distance-setting behavior by the society. In summary, studies show that stigma is an obstacle for individuals with mental

Stigma in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83642 93

disorders to become active in daily life, participate in working life, and be in society.

**1.** Educational approaches to the dangers challenge false stereotypes about mental illness and change them to real knowledge. The training strategies included public service

**3.4. Approaches for reducing stigma in mental diseases**

**Figure 3.** How to decrease stigma in society.

Stigma also prevents individual with mental disorders from using as much as they can from social facilities. As well as experiencing problems in having a satisfactory job, there is also a problem with the right to live in a home on safe and appropriate conditions. In a study by Willis and colleagues, individuals with long-term mental illnesses have experienced inadequate support, living in inadequate housing conditions and showing their lives on the streets [35]. Stigma also has negative consequences within the criminal justice system. According to a study by Lamp and Weinberger [36], it has been shown that 6–15% of individuals in prison in the country have

**Figure 3.** How to decrease stigma in society.

**3.2. Reasons for stigmatization for mental illness**

92 Anxiety Disorders - From Childhood to Adulthood

The causes of stigmatization for mental illness can be individual, social, and political. Especially, it is stated that the fear factor against the individual with mental illness is the biggest factor causing the stigmatization. These individuals with mental disease are considered dangerous by society; their balance completely corrupted, when they do not know what they are going to do; they damage their environment; and they have communication problems. Another cause and one of the most important reasons is that the mental illness is not perceived as a disease. Consequently, age, gender, education, occupation, marital status, social class, culture, religious beliefs, knowledge of disease, contact with mental illness, mental illness label, type of psychopathology, characteristics of individual with mental disease, and

Stigma has negative consequences for the individual in society. The stigma applied to individuals with mental disorders causes new difficulties in the individual's treatment process. Some of the symptoms of mental illness such as reluctance, lack of motivation, low motivation, and loss of self-confidence lead individuals to withdraw to their own world. While individuals try to cope with the symptoms of illness, they also have to cope with the discriminatory behavior of being stigmatized by the society. Individuals who tend to withdraw from society because of their mental illness that tends to withdraw more out of society when

Stigma, in mental disorders, negatively affect their confidence in themselves, their participation in the treatment, their working lives, their use of social opportunities, their ability to defend their rights in criminal justice systems, and their participation in daily life activities [33]. Concern for exposure to stigmatization leads individuals and families with mental disorders to be hesitant about treatment. This causes them not to start treatment or to leave it at the start of treatment. Failure to provide regular treatment affects the individual with mental disease recovery process badly [8]. Stigma affects many areas in the daily life of individuals. One of these is a working life. For example, employers are reluctant to recruit because they see it as aggressive, dangerous, frightening, and unreliable. At the same time, they can use insulting words in business life and question their business performance. These thoughts and behaviors prevent individuals with mental disorders from participating in the working life. Moving away from working life leads to new problems such as not being able to be in society. This situation

Stigma also prevents individual with mental disorders from using as much as they can from social facilities. As well as experiencing problems in having a satisfactory job, there is also a problem with the right to live in a home on safe and appropriate conditions. In a study by Willis and colleagues, individuals with long-term mental illnesses have experienced inadequate support, living in inadequate housing conditions and showing their lives on the streets [35]. Stigma also has negative consequences within the criminal justice system. According to a study by Lamp and Weinberger [36], it has been shown that 6–15% of individuals in prison in the country have

mass media are factors affecting mental illness stigmatization [32] (**Figure 3**).

**3.3. Negative consequences of stigma in mental disorders**

exposed to stigma [1].

is causing their confidence to be shaken [34].

severe mental disorders. In a study by Watson, Corrigan, and Ottati [37] investigating the stigmatizing attitude of police officers, it has been shown that an individual with mental impairment is perceived as more dangerous. At the same time, it was revealed that the information given during the query was not reliable. While being in the criminal proceedings is difficult enough even for individuals without mental disorders, this process is more difficult for individuals and families with mental disorders and negatively affects the healing process. The stigma negatively affects the quality of life's the parents, spouses, siblings, caregivers, and people in close proximity to individuals with mental disorders. In a study by Phelan et al. [38], it was shown that families of people with mental disorders tend to conceal mental impairment from other people. Due to mental disorders in their families, they are exposed to social distance-setting behavior by the society. In summary, studies show that stigma is an obstacle for individuals with mental disorders to become active in daily life, participate in working life, and be in society.
