Culture and Mental Illness: A Personal Response

Having taken a course on Abnormal Psychology, my viewpoint on mental illnesses has been effected and may appear different than our societies viewpoint. Having learned about all kinds of different mental illnesses and the stigmas that accompany them, I have become more understanding and mindful of how I think of other people with mental illnesses. However, I am not completely exempt from the negative stigma society placed on those with mental illnesses. There are times when I find myself feeling fearful or nervous because I am unsure of how to interact with someone who is dealing with a mental illness. That being said, I think in the United States we do a good job on bringing awareness to the topic of mental illness, but there is more to be done. Just like Ireland and Austria, we have created campaigns like Mental Health America, Man Therapy and National Alliance on Mental Illness that help spread the awareness. That being said, we still have a significant suicide rate of 12 per 100,000. However, just like Ireland and Austria, the suicide rate has decreased in the past few years. Mental illness will continue to be a challenging, yet prevalent topic in our society and I hope that the conversation continues.

After completing research for this project, it has made me realize just how important it is for us to talk about the topic of mental illness in our society. This topic is very prevalent to our world today. One observation I made was that Austria, Ireland and the United States are all in similar areas when it comes to promoting mental illness. There are significantly more campaigns and resources available to us in the United States due to the size of our country, but all three countries experience the same negative stigma. Not only has it opened my eyes to how other cultures view mental illness, it has also made me more sympathetic for those who struggle with mental illnesses. Personally I have never struggled with a mental illness, but it was startling learning about Irish culture and how afraid they were to talk about their mental illness with their family and friends. As a future psychologist, I need to be aware of not only the stigma that surrounds the topic, but also the fears of those who have mental illnesses. The Green Ribbon Campaign in Ireland promotes increasing the knowledge of knowing how to initiate those tough conversations and understanding what to say or what not to say. Not only is this important for my future career, it is extremely important for everyday life as well. That being said, I hope that the conversation about mental health continues because the only way to make it more comfortable in the future is to endure the uncomfortable beginning.