Unveiling the Silence: Stigma on Mental Health in Developing
Economies
There has been a growing awareness on a global scale about mental
health issues with greater efforts being put towards removing the stigma
surrounding mental illness. People are now more willing to discuss it
openly. On the other side, the developing world continues to keep mental
health issues blanketed in silence, misunderstanding, and stigma. Cultural
perspectives, lack of resources, and poorly developed health care systems
contribute to a prevailing context where mental illness is ignored.
Exploring the reality of mental health stigma in developing nations is high
importance for creating tailor-made responsive strategies.
Sources of Stigma
Lack of mental disability discrimination in developing countries is still
prevalent because of existing customs. Religioung and socia notaints are
main reasons behind it. The ever-present societal viewpoint is that mental
disorders are linked to weakness or loss of virtue. Possessions are
metaphysically interpreted in some cultures. This results in discrimination
and stigma rather makes easier access to help and even recognition of
the issue.
As an example, parts of Sub Saharan Africa, as well as South Asia, believe
in aids and magic's link to nuts. That means people get taken to spiritual
and religious people instead of trained medics.
Healing a community’s culture and practices can aid the recovery process,
however, holistic techniques are prone to delaying proper care and
worsening outcomes due to a lack of scientific reasoning.
As a result, many of the developing countries have an overpowering
inclination towards collectivism, which puts emphasis on family or
community reputation and welfare at the expense of personal needs.
Mental illnesses are looked down upon because of the discrimination that
surrounds them and are viewed as a shameful burden that could affect
the family’s esteem.
Consequences of Stigma
The consequences that stem from the stigma surrounding mental health
conditions are unkind and strikingly severe. A family’s acceptance
becomes increasingly scarce as individuals begin to generate
discriminatory views, causing them to lose social interactions, face
exclusion from essential activities, and cause immense suffering. In
extreme cases, abuse, neglect, or inhumane confinement becomes the
new normal.
Overtime social stigma grows to become internalized self-stigmatization.
Absorbing the negative perception makes it easy to fall into the pit of low
self-worth and even higher levels of helplessness, evading help altogether.
This overall persistent cycle is extremely damaging as those suffering
continue to do so in silence.
In several under-developed countries, **wanting** resources loosens the
grips held by the government and policymakers, depriving the population
access to basic necessities, all the while bypassing mental health.
This leads to allocated mental health services walls lacking funding,
trained staff, and systems to support proper care. In some countries,
mental health services are only provided in urban areas, which means that
people living in rural areas do not have access to these services. The
World Health Organization states that many low-income countries have
less than one psychiatrist for every one hundred thousand people.
Barriers to Care
In addition to the stigma associated with seeking mental help services,
there are other barriers such as socio-economic challenges, that hinder
access to mental health care in developing countries. Mental health, in
policy and survival, is often absent or overshadowed by poverty, conflict,
and instability. The absence of food, water, and shelter means lack of
basic needs coupled with no resources available renders addressing
mental wellbeing futile.
When the attempt to seek help is made, the broken system makes it
impossible by turning the process difficult. A system where facilities often
lack adequate resources, sufficient medications, and health workers
proficient in mental illness identification renders repetitive failure. Mental
health is often identified as a “luxury issue,” which only continues the
cycle of intentional neglect and inaction towards taking necessary steps.
Under literacy, and death by the fence of language complication
blanketing fence the gap of description accurately aid through inadequacy
turns use of local languages gap formation into blockades that add
barriers. Diagnosis alongside treatment reinforcement the fibrous curtain
accompanied by amplified understanding verges the risk of propelling and
underreporting.
Community and Cultural Engagement
In developing countries, mental health stigma is now being addressed
using community-based approaches and educative peer-led initiatives.
While more challenging work is required, combating such issues is
becoming the focus of attention.
Leaders from various domains such as religion and traditional medicine
can play a significant role in mental health advocacy. When trusted
spokespeople talk about mental health issues in a positive manner, they
actively challenge damaging stereotypes, which encourages people to be
empathetic.
Schools, and workplaces are also effective tools for offering mental health
education universally. Including mental health topics in the educational
syllabus and corporate training will create awareness among students and
employees, teaching them to preserve their mental health.
Personal accounts of having psychotic disorders told over the radio, on
television, or through social media serve as great tools for the promotion
of mental health. Such media humanizes mental health issues, motivates
people to actively seek assistance, and advances wider healthcare
inclusivity, especially with the use of relatable vernaculars.
The Role of International Support
Encouraging students to collectively focus on global and local stigmas, as
well as mental health gaps is a prime responsibility for international and
local organizations, and NGOs.
Research, funding programs, and the development of local professionals
all form an important part of the prerequisite steps. Any approved
solutions need to be implemented with the participation of local
stakeholders to make certain that these efforts will be sustained in the
future.
It's also necessary to fold in mental health into the rest of the
development goals as does poverty alleviation, education, and
incentivization by gender. Social determinants of health such as
unemployment, trauma, and domestic violence go a long way in defining
the mental health of an individual.
In the above regard, the government also needs to put in place operating
policies that enable mental health services while protecting access to
good quality services. In doing so, there is a need to build more facilities,
increase the number of people trained to provide services, and ensure
services that are regarded as health include mental health services under
primary health care provisions.
Looking forward
Addressing the oversight on mental health in developing countries is both
a long and difficult process however, it is one that needs to be made the
foremost priority. By investing in open community dialogue that is
accepting of the need to care for the vulnerable, able bodied citizens,
societies will foster an environment where mental health resources are
prioritized alongside physical health services.
At the end of the day candidates need to understand tau the remedy for
mental illness is wrongly perceived in developing countries and that slow
approach shadows the real impact which in fact is an infringement to
human rights.
Irrespective of their background, every single human being deserves the
chance to live a life filled with dignity, sustenance, and optimism.
