Stereotypes of mental illness in adolescents

Stereotypes of Mental Illness in Adolescents

According to Overton and Medina (2008), young people who suffer from mental health disorders are also at risk of being perceived as sufficiently different from mainstream society to trigger stereotypical perceptions of them by their peers and others. The adverse effects of being stereotyped in this fashion can be devastating, ranging from depression on the part of the adolescent to limited employment opportunities later in life. Indeed, Overton and Medina emphasize that people with mental health disorders are among population groups who experience the highest levels of stigmatism and discrimination, as well as being marginalized in ways that are not congruent with their disorders. When people encounter those with mental health disorders, a series of events tend to occur that contribute to stereotypical reactions. The first event is a cue, which Overton and Medina note is "a social cognitive process of recognizing that something is different about a person. A cue may take several forms. A cue may be something physical or observable, for instance, a psychiatric symptom, a deficit in social skills, or a difference in physical appearance" (p. 143). While entirely different -- and equally misinformed and misguided -- stereotypes may be the results of cues about obvious physical disabilities (e.g., a young person confined to a wheelchair), when young people are perceived as being "different" by virtue of a mental health disorder irrespective of what the actual diagnosis might be, this is sufficient in some cases to trigger the cues that lead to stereotypical perceptions that can include fear and prejudice against the sufferer. In this regard, Overton and Medina add that, "After a person has been cued that there is something different about an individual, stereotypes are activated within that person's thought process. Stereotypes are defined as knowledge structures that are learned by most members of a social group" (p. 144). When young people experience these types of prejudices in their lives concerning something over which they have no control, it can adversely affect their self-esteem and self-image.

Although these researchers discussed stereotypical perceptions and cueing with regards to people in general rather than adolescents in particular, it is clear that such negative self-perceptions can have lasting consequences. This is an especially important consideration given the prevalence and incidence of mental health disorders among young people. In this regard, Villanueva, Scott, Guzzetta and Foster (2009) generally estimate the number of young people in the United States who have some type of serious emotional disturbance at between 6 and 9 million, or about 9-13% of young people in the U.S., and specifically estimate that 20% of young people between 9 and 17 years have a mental disorder with some type of functional impairment; of these, with about 6% of these receiving some type of prescription medicine to treat a mood or behavior disorder (Villaneuva et al., 2009). These figures suggest that these young people will have a significant history of being treated for mental illness and may also be taking psychotropic medications during an enormously formative period in their lives.

Complicating the notion of stereotypical perceptions among clinicians concerning these young people is the fact that mental health disorders may only be part of the problem, because three times as many young people with chronic medical illness also suffer from psychiatric disorders and social adjustment problems compared to their healthy peers (Villaneuva et al., 2009). To the extent that these young people are perceived in terms of stereotypical views by clinicians will likely be the extent to which the therapeutic relationship will be adversely affected. In this regard, Villaneuva and her associates conclude that, "Myths and stereotypes about mental illness that can create personal biases and lead to discrimination. Such stereotypical views together with long-standing beliefs about mental illness can affect the nurse-patient relationship and ultimately influence the care that patients receive" (p. 221).