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Why is 'mental illness' a contested term?
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Mon Jun 19 2006
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Why is "mental illness a contested term? The label 'mental illness' is highly stigmatising to many given it encourages people to think of 'the mentally ill' as an entirely separate group from 'people like us', rather than as ordinary people who have, for whatever reason, more severe emotional difficulties to cope with. Popular misconceptions, fuelled by the media, depict 'the mentally ill' as violent and dangerous. These stereotypes are contradicted by ordinary people's experiences of mental health problems affecting themselves, their family, friends or work colleagues. Mental illness is a narrow meaning often used by psychological and psychiatric services. By placing an emphasis on the word illness we acknowledge the need for medical treatment. But there are certain difficulties with describing some one as mentally ill as there is no universally agreed cut-off point between normal behaviour and that described as mental illness. (Reader, David L Rosenham p p70-78) What is considered...
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