How Mental Illness Affects Individuals, And The...

Studies show that one in four people in the world have been or will be affected with some type of mental illness within their lifespan. Within this paper I plan to discuss what mental illness is, how mental illness affects individuals, and the stereotypes that come along with mental illnesses. The question I plan to answer would be â€Å"How has mental illness been perceived and treated throughout history?† According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, mental illness is defined as being a medical condition that disturbs a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others (NAMI). Serious mental illness cost America approximately 193.2 billion dollars in lost earnings each year resulting in about 60 percent of adults and about one-half of youth with mental illness to receive no mental health services (NAMI). In the United Kingdom about half of the population is said to experience some sort of mental illness in a year which leads to discrimination (MentalHealth). With so many people in the world experiencing mental illness leads many to wonder how it is treated within the different cultures. This paper will explore OCD, ADHD, and Autism and the causes of these different types of mental illnesses. I will also discuss the treatment of these mental illnesses as well as the stigmatization that comes along with these disorders across the multicultural system. Al so the concept of prejudice of mental illnesses along with the medical treatments and how they wereShow MoreRelatedThe Sociological Perspective On Medical Conditions1687 Words   |  7 Pagesinstitutions, and relationships to assess and explain illness. The sociological perspective contains the following theories to support its assessment of illness and they are: stigma, labeling theory, and medicalization. These three concepts play a large role in the sociological perspective. 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