Transcript FACES of RECOVERY

FACES of RECOVERY
Mental Illnesses Affect Everyday People
•People You’re Friends With
•People You Work With
•People You Love
•NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania
Who are These Everyday
People and What Do They
Want?
They are your friends, colleagues and family
•Individuals recovering from mental illnesses
have the same wants as any American:
To love and be loved
To meet basic human needs
To have education opportunities
To seek meaningful employment
To realize self-satisfaction
•NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania
Mental Illnesses-More
Common Than You Think
• 1 in 5 Americans (54 million citizens) has a
diagnosable mental illness (NIMH)
• 1 in 10 children (Surgeon General’s Report on
Mental Health)
• Only 8 million Americans get the treatment they
need (NIMH)
• Treatment works, but why are 46 million people
falling through the cracks in our healthcare
system?
•NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania
How PA Residents Rate The
Seriousness of Health Problems
Ketchum Public Relations 1992
Very Serious
Somewhat Serious
Not at all Serious
Heart Disease
Cancer
Diabetes
Mental Illness
0%
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50%
100%
Treatment Efficacy Rates
High Success
Moderate Success
No Marked Success
Heart Disease
Cancer
Diabetes
Bipolar Disorder
0%
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50%
100%
50 Years Ago
• Little or no understanding of the biology of
mental illnesses
• Parents were blamed for mental illnesses
• Treatments were primitive
• Asylum was the norm
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Chipping Away at Barriers to
Mental Illness Recovery
Through:
• Pharmocotherapy Advancements
& Research
• Expanded Community Based Services
• Earlier Intervention and Rehabilitation
Models
• A Collaborative Grassroots Anti-Stigma
Campaign
•NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania
What Is Stigma ?
• A mark of shame or disgrace associated
with something that is not considered
normal
– Stereotype
• A negative belief about a group
– Prejudice
• Agreement with the belief and a negative emotional
reaction to the group
– Discrimination
• The behavior in response to the prejudice
Patrick Corrigan, Psy D
University of Chicago Consortium for Stigma Research
What are the Effects of
Stigma?
•Stereotypes, Prejudice and Discrimination
(Stigma) Can Cause Individuals with Mental
Illnesses to Avoid Treatment Through Fear of:
•Job Loss or Inability to Gain 1st Time
Employment
•Loss of Home or Discrimination in Housing
Choices
•Loss of Significant Relationships
•Inadequate Private Insurance Coverage –
Additional Financial Loss
How Can Stigmatizing
Attitudes Be Changed?
•Education activities that address the myths
and realities of mental illnesses
•Activities that facilitate interaction between
individuals living with mental illness and the
general public
•Grass roots partnership initiatives that
bring together community leaders, media,
legislators,consumers of mental health
services and their family members.
Patrick Corrigan, Psy D
The Key Message Points of
the Statewide Anti-Stigma
Campaign (www.openmindsopendoors.com)
•“People who have mental illnesses can and do recover.”
•“People who have mental illnesses have the same needs
as everyone else.”
•“People who have mental illnesses make valuable
contributions to society.”
•“Stigma and discrimination against people who have
mental illnesses keeps them from getting the help they
need.”
•“Stigma and discrimination violates basic human rights.”
•NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania
What You Can Do to Fight
Stigma
• Become involved in your local county
community support program
• Support inclusion of individuals
recovering from mental illnesses within
your neighborhood, churches and
community organizations
• Support funding for continued research
and education activities that break down
the barriers to recovery
What You Can Do to Fight Stigma
• Use “people-first” language in everyday
conversations
• Access NAMI national website: www.nami.org &
join the StigmaBusters
• Access NAMI Southwestern PA website:
www.namiswpa.org for media and legislative
outreach tips and to link onto the statewide antidiscrimination website:
www.openmindsopendoors.com
• Push for Insurance Parity
•NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania
“The time is now to educate,
motivate and mobilize”
Former Surgeon General David Satcher,MD,PhD
• Mental Illness: Recovery is a Reality,
Treatment Works, and Equal Coverage is
Affordable.
– Full parity will add just 1% to insurance premiums
(Hay Group)
– Employer plans with good access to MH outpatient
services have lower psychiatric disability
claims(UNUM Life Insurance Co & John Hopkins
University)
– Annual cost of untreated mental illnesses exceeds
$300 billion (NIMH)
•NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania
Ensure Your Voice is Heard
Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful committed citizens can
change the world.
Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever
has.
Margaret Mead
•NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania