Mental Health Stigma UK

How Mental Health Stigma Affects Legal Outcomes: What You Need to Know

Thousands of people suffer from mental health stigma UK. Yet, not many of them talk about it. This can be a significant barrier to equal treatment and justice for those affected. It not only impacts their well-being but may also affect legal outcomes.

The UK government has taken several steps to deal with mental health prejudice. From time to time, it has passed pieces of legislation to safeguard people with cognitive problems. Still, the situation is more complicated than what is perceived.

“It is indisputable that involuntary commitment to a mental hospital after a finding of probable dangerousness to self or others can engender adverse social consequences to the individual. Whether we label this phenomena ‘stigma’ or choose to call it something else is less important than that we recognize that it can occur and that it can have a very significant impact on the individual.”

Chief Justice Burger

Understanding Mental Health Stigma UK

Mental health stigma is the negative view of people with mental illnesses. It commonly arises from fear or misconceptions about mental health. This can be problematic as it can lead to:

• Discrimination
• Reluctance to seek help or disclose psychological issues
• Social exclusion

Stigma can be of various types, such as:

• Public stigma: This widespread attitude labels psychologically challenged people as weak, dangerous, or unreliable.
• Self-stigma: It develops when people create negative beliefs about the self. The consequence of this may be feelings of shame, low self-esteem, and avoidance of treatment.
• Institutional stigma: Biases are developed through the application of certain policies that work against individuals with psychological disorders.
• Social stigma: It arises from the isolation or unfair treatment of people within social circles.

Not only can stigma affect psychologically but may also affect overall health. According to stats by the UK Parliament, those suffering from preventable health conditions like diabetes and heart disease die 15 to 25 years earlier if they have a severe mental illness.

Impact of Mental Health Stigma on Legal Outcomes in the UK

Mental health stigma can affect legal outcomes for affected individuals in the following ways:

• Discrimination in court decisions
• Bias in legal cases with mentally challenged individuals

Let’s overview both these aspects.

Discrimination in Court Decisions

Stigma in the judiciary can cause bias. This harms the fairness of legal proceedings. Judges, magistrates, and other legal professionals may, knowingly or not, hold stigmatising beliefs about people with mental health conditions. These beliefs can sway their decisions, leading to unfair results.

For instance, a person with a mental condition may be unfairly perceived as less credible. This can affect the weight given to their testimony. This perception can negatively impact the outcome of cases like:

• Child custody disputes
• Criminal cases with defendants who have a psychological disorder

Bias in Legal Proceedings Involving Psychologically Challenged Individuals

Bias against people with mental health conditions can affect legal proceedings at various stages. For instance:

• Officers may see people with mental disorders as a threat. They might use force to arrest them.
• Jurors may be biased against defendants with mental health issues.

The UK’s Legal Framework to Overcome Mental Health Stigma

The law protects the rights of individuals at risk of mental health prejudice UK. The following laws are especially relevant:

• Equality Act 2010
• Mental Health Act 1983

Let’s discuss these briefly.

Equality Act 2010

A key law that protects against discrimination is the Equality Act 2010. Under this act, you may even challenge discrimination.

The Equality Act covers people with disabilities, which includes mental illness. It helps you when you:

• Apply for a job or resign from the existing one.
• Rent or buy a property.
• Study in school, college, or university.
• Deal with departments like tax collection or crime investigation.
• Use services like restaurants, shops, hospitals, and transport.
• Join associations or other private clubs.

Mental Health Act 1983

This act involves the detention and treatment of people with mental disorders. While this method may seem unjust at times, it also has rules that help prevent stigma. For instance:

• The Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) allows detainees to file a review against their detention. Independent mental health tribunals handle these reviews.
• Patients whose treatment is concluded may be entitled to aftercare under section 117 of the act. This helps them deal with both the intrinsic and extrinsic stigma.
• The MHA instructs medical facilities to protect patients from abuse.

Addressing and Reducing Stigma

Authorities work arduously towards stigma reduction UK. However, achieving this goal requires a cultural shift and good policies.

Below are the strategies that can help combat mental health stigma:

Changing People’s Opinion and Perception

This may involve:

• Running campaigns to end stereotypes and discrimination against the mentally challenged.
• Ensuring proper media representation of people with mental health issues.
• Promoting positive talks about mental issues and those affected at the community level.

Introducing Systematic Reforms

These reforms may include:

• Introducing education programs in schools, colleges, universities, and workplaces
• Training healthcare providers, educators, and legal professionals on facilitating people with mental health issues
• Introducing legislative reforms that specifically target stigma and discrimination

Conclusion

Stigma around mental health can sideline those with psychological issues. Therefore, addressing this concern is the need of the hour. This would need people and authorities to work together to reduce mental health stigma UK.

At Concise Medico, we offer specialist mental rehab services. Our team has highly qualified psychologists. Not only do they provide treatment, but they also work to raise awareness about mental health.