Citation

Sutović A. Psychiatr. Danub. 2017; 29(Suppl 5): 880-884.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, School of Medicine, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, alijasutovic@hotmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

29283983

Abstract

In psychiatry, stigma means negative marking of the person only because s(he) has a diagnosis of mental disease, and usually this refers to schizophrenia. Stigmatization is related to prejudice, i.e. negative attitudes that are deeply rooted on false beliefs that schizophrenia cannot be treated. In principle, stigma is caused by combination of ignorance and fear which represents the basis of the creation of entrenched myths and prejudice. From a historical point of view, schizophrenia as a disease remains for public, one of the medical areas that are related to fear, a sense of discomfort, prejudice and avoidance. A combination of difficult mental disease, discrimination and stigmatization can be devastating for mentally disabled patients. Throughout history, stigma played significant role in patient's emotional and social isolation from other people deepening their suffering. A common consequence of stigma is discrimination which represents violation of basic human rights. Mentally disabled patients are often unjustifiably seen as dangerous, incapable, irresponsible which causes their isolation, homelessness and economic collapse. Thereby, possibilities for normal life, work, treatment, rehabilitation and social integration are decreased.

Language: en