Running head: IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH 1

Importance of Understanding Mental Health

Madison A. R. Cole

Lake Michigan College

Commented [SE1]: Good job with the page set up

IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH 2

Importance of Understanding Mental Health

Mental Illness. Two words that means so many different things. For some it’s something

that they have to deal with every day, and others cringe or act of disgust when they hear the

words. Even though having a mental illness is a totally common, natural thing, people still have Commented [SE2]: This hook is a little too informal for an
APA paper.
this stigma associated with it. It's not like anybody wants to have something wrong with them it

just happens, and it doesn’t help when others look down on them for something they cannot

control. People need to spend more time focusing on trying to understand mental health rather

than ignoring it. Especially since it affects so many people, and it's not like these issues are really

going anywhere. Commented [SE3]: Combine this into a concise statement

of thesis.
Seems that you’re addressing a conceptual problem.
Discrimination towards the mentally ill has been seen over time. It comes from a fear of

what some do not understand and don’t perceive as “normal”. There has also been this stigma Commented [SE4]: Don’t use quotes for emphasis.

around mental health that makes everything worse. Commented [SE5]: Remember that part of the goal of any
academic essay is to engage with an outside source at least
once per paragraph.
The stigma against the mentally ill comes from the stereotype where people with a mental
Commented [SE6]: Good transition.
illness are violent and harmful to be around. This is true for some people with a mental illness, Commented [SE7]: Clunky syntax.

but it is most certainly not everybody. For most it's them who are at more risk of being attacked Commented [SE8]: Who is them?

or if they are going to be violent it will be against themselves. (MHF). So, the discriminators’ Commented [SE9]: Citation?

reasons for not liking the mentally ill are invalid.

Even if these haters see the errors of their ways, they can think that what they are doing Commented [SE10]: Too informal.

causes no harm and keep on saying and doing whatever they feel without thinking. These

careless actions can cause a lot of harm to the people who are being discriminated against. Commented [SE11]: Engage with a source.
Commented [SE12]: Try doing some scholarly research
When people are against you it can be hard to do the normal daily life things. into the idea of “the Other” or othering. People generally
discriminate or judge harshly those different from
themselves…
One thing that is necessary in everyday life is a job. For people with a mental disability it Commented [SE13]: Develop this paragraph.

can be hard to find or keep a job. Discrimination with jobs is an all too common thing nowadays. Commented [SE14]: Employment discrimination… or
something.
IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH 3

Luckily things are slowly changing to where you don’t have to be a white, at least middle class,

male to get a job anymore. But people that hire still think that people with a mental illness won’t

be right for the job, and they don’t even give them a chance. Even if a person with a mental

illness did get hired, the effects of said illness could interfere with their job performance, and

when it comes to the workplace many don’t give people second chances or time to improve. The

overall process with occupations is not a good situation for people that struggle with mental Commented [SE15]: Explain this

issues, and Human Resource departments at companies should be more understanding. Commented [SE16]: Engage with a source.

When others think that it would not be good to hang around certain people, it causes

social isolation. It doesn’t do anyone good, even if they don’t have a mental illness, to feel like Commented [SE17]: Revise this topic sentence to focus
on social isolation and its effects.

they are alone, and for people who do have mental illnesses it is even worse. People think that

there is no good hanging around with the mental ill, thinking that they are just crazy and that

they have a choice to be acting in certain ways. This causes the mentally ill to be left alone for

most of the time. Being isolated drives people into even worse conditions because there is

nothing worse than feeling alone. Everyone deep down inside wants people to be around, so

sometimes the ill will change who they are/ hide their illness to get more people to like them. Commented [SE18]: Engage with a source.

Not being your true self creates even more problems, which is not good for anyone, and creates a Commented [SE19]: new paragraph about authenticity.

bigger hole for the mentally ill. People need to understand that even though sometimes there can

be things different going on in others’ heads, that they are still people and that they are just as

good to be around than everyone else. Commented [SE20]: You’ve said this in every paragraph
thus far.
IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH 4

Overall, the worst effect that discrimination has on the mentally ill, is that it can make it

harder to get better and can even, in some cases, make things worse. The stigma and

discrimination around mental illnesses can make people feel all sorts of things. For one they can

feel self-doubt that they won’t ever be able to escape their illness, and also the feeling of shame

of having their illness. When they feel this way, it can lead them to not let people into their Commented [SE21]: Combine this into a concise topic
sentence.

troubles, them thinking that nobody understands or even cares, then leading them to not get help. Commented [SE22]: sprawl

The best thing would be for the mentally ill to be able to block out all the hate and just focus on

what they need to get better and live their lives, but that is not a likely scenario. What need to

happen is for people to drop all this hostility and just be peaceful and help those in need. Commented [SE23]: This indicates that you’re addressing
the practical problem now.

Social media has changed aspects of discrimination, in some ways good and others bad.

A good way that social media has helped the discrimination against mental illnesses is that it

gives insight to what it is really like to live with a mental disorder. Another thing is that people Commented [SE24]: examples?

are starting to advocate for mental health and are spreading positivity for people who are

struggling with their illnesses. If the use of social media keeps up these positive habits, it could Commented [SE25]: examples?

create a big impact and could even get close to stopping the hatred, but as of now, there are still

bad parts included. Since anyone can share any of their thoughts and feelings, social media can Commented [SE26]: new paragraph

spread around all those bad connotations connected with mental health issues, that need to be

forgotten about. Social media does help is a lot of ways, but it needs to stop being used to spread

the negative ways of thinking. Commented [SE27]: examples?

IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH 5

Discrimination today is better than in past years, due to social and legal changes.

Including “the Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate directly or indirectly against

people with mental health problems in public services and functions, access to premises, work,

education, associations and transport.” (MHF). These kinds of acts are being done more and Commented [SE28]: Combine these sentences for flow.
Commented [SE29]: interpret in terms of your thesis.
more to try and make things better. Somethings are working, but there is still a lot of room for

improvement for a better future for mental health.

Stigmas and discrimination create a horrible cycle that can trap the mentally ill. This

cycle needs to be broken, or even trying to help treat the illnesses won’t do any good. Once the

intolerance for acceptance disappears then people can start to focus on the help that the mentally

ill need. Commented [SE30]: Practical problem

Engage with sources

Even though mental issues are being brought more into the limelight, there is still a lack

of treatment and support. Commented [SE31]: What needs to be fixed? Create a list
and then align each of the following paragraphs to one issue
facing treatment.
There is therapy and different places that you can go to try to get rid of a mental illness or

at least help manage the effects. The main problem is the cost. These treatments are quite Commented [SE32]: Topic sentence.

overpriced, even though most the time you are just talking about what's in your head most of the

time. It also doesn’t help that it is hard for people with mental illnesses to find and keep jobs, so

it's hard to pay the funds needed to get help. Another issue with treatments today is that they can

be hard to find. Unless you live near a big city, it can be hard to find a good treatment center, and Commented [SE33]: New paragraph
Topic sentence about access.

even if you find one it might not suit your needs. Recently there have been some new forms of

treatments that are making it a little easier to access and afford help. Hopefully this trend
IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH 6

continues to advance so that it will become a lot easier and simpler for people to get the help

they need.

To try and live with a mental illness you need more than just medical type help, you need

support of others. Support can come from all different sources: family, friends, self-help groups, Commented [SE34]: Topic sentence about lack of support
structures.

etc. The concept of being open and sharing things, especially with people you should be close Commented [SE35]: Don’t use etcetera, or the
abbreviation, in academic writing. It undermines your
authority by implying that you either don’t know the rest of
with, seems simple, but it really isn’t when it comes to talking about something so personal. the list or it isn’t important enough to discuss.
Commented [SE36]: New paragraph
Topic sentence about shame/vulnerability.
Because of how impossible it feels to someone to talk about their mental illness, they rather just

stay silent and keep to themselves. Since the talk about mental illnesses is still new a lot of

people don’t think to reach out to others, so the sufferers just stay in the dark. It needs to be a

common thing to feel okay about speaking out about things going on in our minds. More and

more people are speaking out about mental health issues, which is helping, but in order to try and

make this a normal thing there needs to be even more who share stories, feelings, and other

ideas. These actions are also making it harder for discriminators to block out the truth that the

mentally ill are the horrible ones.

Support really helps battle a mental illness because this way the people battling feel like

they are not alone.

Simply trying to live with a mental illness is hard enough, but there is also the added pain

from discrimination and then the hardship of getting some help. In the world we live in today it

is not okay for these people to be suffering and there needs to be an end. The stigma, and
IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH 7

discrimination that comes along with it, surrounding mental health needs to be demolished, and

then some serious research towards treatment need to happen. Commented [SE37]: This should be directly connected to
your original thesis.
IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH 8

References

● https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/stigma-and-discrimination Commented [SE38]: You still need 5 scholarly sources