Mental Illness Stigma

There is no doubt in my mind that we have not even begun to scratch the surface in talking about mental illness.  Scanning the news demonstrates this to me everyday with countless stories of the impact of mental illness in the workplace, at home and even for first responders and the military.  Let's not forget the tragic number of completed suicides.  Despite the number of social campaigns that serve to remove the stigma of mental illness, such as Bell Canada's Let's Talk, or celebrities sharing their personal stories, it doesn't seem to be enough.  There still seems to be a considerable number of people who perpetuate the stigma, or on the opposite end, fear it.  Is there a better way to break down the stigma associated with mental illness?

A quick Google search of key terms: mental illness and stigma produces an exhaustive list that ranges from informative to flat out drivel.  How is one supposed to differentiate from what is research and evidence-based to what is meaningless and unhelpful?  Additionally, if we take a deeper look at the content of the search results, we will likely find that cultural and socioeconomic content is lacking; instead the focus seems to be on white women with anxiety and white men with depression.  This bring forth another concern - that the focus on mental illness seems to be isolated to mood related disorders.  The truth is mental illness affects everyone, and it encompasses much more than depression and anxiety - what about psychosis, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder - should they not get a seat at the table too?

Don't misunderstand me, anxiety, depression, and even posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are certainly more prevalent in our society, but the definition of mental illness doesn't stop there.  Indulge me for a moment, let's talk about those celebrities that have spoken up about the effects of mental illness on their lives - first and foremost, telling their story was, and continues to be, brave - it takes a lot of courage to talk about something that is so deeply personal.  If hearing someone speak about the challenges of mental illness helps just one person, than in my opinion, it has been effective - however, at what point does all this talking translate into action?  By this I mean, when will the existing barriers that restrict access to mental health services come down?  In the province of Ontario, anyone looking for mental health services faces long waiting lists upwards of 3 to 6 months, unless they have insurance benefits and/or are willing to pay for services .  Again, the message that social awareness campaigns carry is that mental illness affects everyone - so why can't everyone get access in a timely manner?