Attitude Towards Mental Illness: Annotated Bibliography

Basu, R., Sau, A., Saha, S., Mondal, S., & Ghoshal, P. (2017). A study on knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding mental health illnesses in Amdanga block, West Bengal. Indian Journal of Public Health, 169-173.

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The motive of this article is validating the attitude of the community towards mental illness. After many years in India, mental health illness got its due attention. Based on the article, the primary danger to mental health is the effect of demand side factors which include practice, attitude and knowledge of the overall population. The article showed the concern in India that despite many cases of mental health illness in the country, there were only a few studies done to mitigate the issue. The author expressed the idea that knowledge, attitude and practice affect the mental illnesses in the country. The author conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review of public attitude which exhibited that in spite of the enhancements in mental health literacy level, the wish for social distance and public attitude has not changed. Furthermore, the literature suggested that there is a relationship between individual stigma and public attitude towards mental health. The study also showed that the low rate of mental psychiatric help is due to the poor or lack of knowledge of mental health problems which encompasses information about symptoms and psychiatric treatments. Nevertheless, studies indicated that knowledge leads to less stigmatisation. Besides, showing a negative attitude towards a mentally ill person causes them to suffer from avoidance, discrimination and social exclusion. The author indicated that previous researches showed that being in contact with a person experiencing mental illness has an influence on the attitude and behaviours. In some situations, experience with mentally ill people resulted in a positive and understanding attitude. The author finalised by saying that the major finding was the presence of a positive relationship between knowledge and better attitudes; hence less discrimination and stigma. As a result, it is crucial to initiate campaigns all over India and specifically in the schools, to prepare an open-minded and knowledgable society.

Bhui, K. (2016). Discrimination, poor mental health, and mental illness. International review of psychiatry, 411-414.

This article discusses discrimination, poor mental health and mental illness. Bhui indicates that discrimination and mental illness go hand in hand and they are a major public health issue. The article indicates that discrimination was recognised to be related to mental and poor physical health. The article quotes that people with mental illnesses say that the social stigma linked to their mental ill-health and the discrimination they get makes their life hard and worse to recover. The main idea expressed by the author was that most of the mental problems are made worse through discrimination and stigma which they are inflicted mostly by their employers, friends and families. From research expressed by the author approximately nine out of ten people having mental illnesses says that stigmatisation and discrimination have an adverse influence on their lives. The study shows that discrimination worsens a person mental health problem and impedes or delays them from getting any treatment or recovery. Some of the discrimination that people expressed in the article includes poverty, unemployment, poor housing and social isolation. More importantly, the author argued that this issue is exacerbated more by the media. Bhui illustrated this by saying that media often gives reports that connect mental illness with violence or gives an image of people with mental health issues as evil or dangerous. The article concluded by saying that discrimination on people with mental illness should be avoided by avoiding labelling or judging them and respecting them with dignity and respect.

Gilmour, H. (2014). Positive mental health and mental illness. Health reports, 3-9.

This article examines positive mental illness and mental health. The author uses Keyes' two continua model to see if there is a positive relationship amongst mental health and mental illness. From the study, the model identifies that mental illness and mental health are not the same, but they are rather correlated. The author expresses the idea that lack of mental illness does not mean that there is a presence of mental health. Having complete mental health means that an individual is flourishing and free from having a mental illness. The study showed that in 2012, there were 76.9%, 21.6% and 1.5% of Canadians that were classified as being flourishing, average and languishing mental health respectively. Nevertheless, previous studies that had been done through internet instruments, postal and telephone showed that this percentage varied with countries. For instance, Gilmour illustrated that the percentage of flourishing was higher in the United States compared to Canada. Combine assessments have made support for these claims of mental illness and mental health which showed that in 2012, approximately 72.5% of Canadians with 15 years and above were categorised as being completely mental health since they were flourishing and they did not meet the criteria for being mental disorders. The article concluded by saying that estimates of complete mental health according to the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH) are higher as compared to previous studies. Moreover, the result of the study showed that Keyes' two continua model was correct, whereby there is a relationship between mental illness and mental health. Nonetheless, mental illness and mental health are related but distinct.

Happell, B. (2017). Physical health and mental illness: listening to the voice of carers. Journal of mental health (Abingdon, England), 127-133.

The main aim of this article is to portray opinions and views of carers concerning physical health and mental illness of people. The main idea behind this article is the reduced life expectancy of individuals having mental illness hence the need to focus on research and policy activities. The article indicated that the life expectancy gap between people identified with mental illness and the general public is huge making it unacceptable health inequality that needs immediate action. The author elaborated that there is a positive relationship between carers and mental illness. Happell conducted a thorough investigation and indicated that carers are the breakthrough to people with mental illness to access services. More research showed that carers strive to get an opportunity of being involved in advanced collaborative relationships with health care services. The author also stated that carers play a crucial role in the physical health care of people with mental problems that includes following up and helping with treatment and medication. The main limitation of this article is that there is a striking absence of research on the views and opinions of carers concerning the physical health of people with mental illness. The author concluded by saying that it is important that the opinions and views of Carers are to be embraced by the health care sector. Moreover, informed decision making should be done concerning physical health care services so that the quality and longevity of life of people having mental health illness can be improved.

M.J, V. (2010). The Impact of Serious Mental Illness on Health and Healthcare. Psychosomatics, 458-465.

This article discusses the effect serious mental illness has on health care and mental illness. The main idea expressed by the author is that people having serious mental illness normally die much earlier. They have extra medical problems and more so, they get worse medical care compared to the ones in the general population. One of the motives of the article is reviewing the data on mortality and medical morbidity with those of serious mental illness (SMI) to evaluate the aspects that result in having such disparities and discussing possible solutions to the problem. Mark indicated that serious mental illness includes major mood and psychotic disorders. The death of people with a severe mental problem is associated with the host of the patient, system factors and being provided with substandard medical care. The article indicates that there is no possibility of true recovery in situations where an individual is dying prematurely from a treatable medical illness. The results of the study showed that adults who have serious mental illness in the United States die 25 years early compared to people within the general population. Serious mental illness is often characterised with cardiovascular disease which is responsible for most of the extra mortality accounting for around 60% of the deaths resulting from mental illness. As a result, the authors suggest that there is an interaction between system-level, patient and provider factors that contributes to poor health in people with SMI.

MD, S., N.Ballen, MD, L., G.Lafontaine, E.Sibbald, T.Aubry, & MD, J. (2015). Examining Mental Health Illness in a Community Based Sample of Pregnant and Postpartum Youth: A Pilot Study. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.

This article examines the mental health illness of pregnant and postpartum youth in a community. The author indicates that among five women, one will experience mental health disorder during their first year postpartum of pregnancy. The article shows that in adolescent mothers, the chances of having a mental illness is higher. The author elaborated the idea that a community based young parents outreach centre was established with an attempt to optimising health outcomes for families and young mothers. The article expressed the idea that most of the pregnancies are unplanned and may happen when not expected and in some cases, when the woman is taking medication related to mental problems. Many women opt to receive treatment immediately after knowing they are pregnant. As a result of this, this can come with substantial risk. The main concern of the author was that pregnant and postpartum youth should make substantial decisions concerning the maintenance or initiation of mental treatment during pregnancy. The decisions made should understand the risk related to exposing the specific medication to the fetal and should put into consideration the risks that come in hand with untreated mental illness in the mother. The results of the study showed there were high rates of distress and psychiatric morbidity as shown by clinical sores on different measures among the women. The author summed up by saying that it is crucial for any program that provides care to postpartum youth and pregnant women to have an adequate resource so that mental health outcomes can be optimised.

Payton, A. R. (2009). Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Psychological Distress: Same Continuum or Distinct Phenomena?*. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 213-227.

This article tries to evaluate the relationship between mental illness, mental health and psychological distress. The main idea expressed by the author was to assess the incidence and prevalence of mental health, mental illness and psychological distress. In this article, the author argues that the association among distress, disorder and mental health are an important source of conflict in the sociology of mental health. The author uses a modal perspective position to show the long-standing tendency that researchers conflate mental illness and mental health. The study showed that the mental health of a population is the outcome of complex interactions of different factors at the population and individual levels. The most common factor that affects mental health is psychological distress and mental illness. Moreover, the...