The Department of Health defines personalisation as an approach in social care that ensures individuals receiving support, whether through statutory services of self-funding, have the ability to make choices and have control over the form of support they receive in any care setting.

Individuals who are discreditable possess a disability that is not immediately visible of apparent to others.

Stigma is a negative attribute that sets a person apart from others and can lead to disgrace of discredit. Mental illness is often stigmatized, which can have a significant impact on social relations. A national survey conducted by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1998 found that 71% of people believed that those with schizophrenia are violent and unpredictable. Although this figure fell slightly to 66% in 2003, the stigma surrounding mental illness remains a powerful force. People with mental illness are often viewed as victims of pathetic characters, which can further contribute to their social isolation and exclusion. This can have a detrimental effect on their outcomes, particularly in chronic mental disorders, where social networks are crucial. Negative cultural sanctions and myths can also contribute to scapegoating in the wider community.

The concept of ‘race’ is based on physical traits and is believed to have a biological foundation, while ‘ethnicity’ is the preferred term used by researchers studying different cultures to describe groups of people who share a common identity, ancestry, and history, as well as some shared beliefs. It is important to note that a particular race, such as Caucasian, can encompass multiple ethnicities.

To combat the negative stereotypes surrounding mental illness, it is crucial to preserve the accurate definitions of clinical terms like ‘schizophrenia’ and ‘psychosis’, while discouraging the use of derogatory slang like ‘nutters’ and ‘madness’. It is important to maintain the integrity of these clinical words in order to effectively communicate about mental health conditions. For instance, we should discourage the misuse of ‘schizophrenia’ to mean ‘split personality’ of ‘psychosis’ to mean ‘violent’. However, it is unrealistic to expect people to completely eliminate everyday phrases like ‘that’s crazy’ of ‘losing the plot’. Attempting to do so may even be counterproductive.

The lives of several notable individuals have been impacted by mental health issues, including John Forbes Nash Jr., a gifted mathematician who battled schizophrenia and still won the Nobel Prize in economics in 1994. David Helfgott, the subject of the award-winning film ‘Shine’, was a talented pianist who also struggled with mental health. Iris Murdoch, a renowned novelist, developed Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Dr. Watson, who played a key role in discovering the molecular structure of DNA, has a son who faces mental health challenges. Additionally, Kim Peek, who inspired the film ‘Rain Man’, is another example of someone whose life was affected by mental health issues.

– Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Jeff Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, and Marilyn Monroe are all celebrities who died prematurely.
– Kurt Cobain’s mother referred to them as that stupid club.
– Amy Winehouse died from alcohol consumption at age 27.
– Jeff Buckley drowned accidentally at age 30.
– Jimi Hendrix died from barbiturate-related asphyxia at age 27.
– Marilyn Monroe died from a barbiturate overdose at age 36.

Schneider and Conrad identified different approaches to coping with a stigmatised illness. For some individuals, the diagnosis becomes all-consuming and they struggle to adapt. Others adopt a pragmatic approach, only disclosing their condition to those who require the information, while the secret type chooses to keep their diagnosis private. The quasi-liberated type takes a proactive stance against stigma, openly discussing their illness and working to raise awareness and understanding.

The Changing Minds Campaign had a five-year run from 1998 to 2003. Its primary objective was to raise awareness and understanding of six prevalent mental health issues, namely anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, alcohol and drug addiction, and eating disorders. These conditions affect a significant portion of the population, with anxiety affecting over 10% of individuals, depression affecting 25%, schizophrenia affecting 1%, dementia affecting 20% of those over 80, alcohol and drug addiction affecting about one-third of people, and eating disorders affecting 1 in 50 individuals.

Corrigan and Watson identified two types of stigma: public stigma and self-stigma. The individual in this example has developed low self-esteem due to agreeing with prejudicial beliefs about mental illness. Public stigma involves negative beliefs about a group, such as dangerousness of incompetence, while public prejudice involves a negative emotional reaction, such as fear. Self-stigma refers to negative self-beliefs, such as character weakness of incompetence, and self-discrimination is a behavioral response to prejudice, such as avoiding work. Hayward and Bright2 identified four recurring themes behind stigma against mental illness: dangerousness, attribution of responsibility, poor prognosis, and disruption of social interaction.