A research team from the University of Valencia (UV) has established an observatory to monitor the social stigma associated with severe mental disorders. The initiative focuses on evaluating and intervening in the prevalence of stereotypes, attitudes, prejudices and social behaviours towards people with severe mental health issues.
As part of the project, a series of workshops have been launched for the youngest university students, aimed at assessing and reducing stigma in this context, which is one of the most significant issues related to mental health. This is confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), which celebrates World Mental Health Day today, 10 October.
"Society’s stereotypes, prejudices and stigmatising behaviours can be more devastating than the disorder itself because they limit the social integration of those affected, including their economic and personal independence, and even deter them from seeking professional help", explains Inmaculada Fuentes, lecturer in the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment at the UV and principal investigator of the project. "Raising society’s awareness of the seriousness of the problem, increasing resources and establishing policies for inclusion in the field of mental health are essential", she adds.
The 90-minute workshops are offered as a complementary activity to the bachelor’s degree studies, are delivered by the research team itself and involve the participation of individuals with lived experience of mental health issues. After completing the sessions in the Faculty of Geography and History, the workshops are currently being held in the bachelor’s degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences (FCAFE). They are also planned to be implemented in the degrees in Business Administration, Pedagogy, Social Education and several engineering programmes concentrated in the UV School of Engineering (ETSE), all’as a pilot experience with a view to future actions aimed at reducing a stigma that remains prevalent in society, including in the university setting.
According to the research team, the key areas where this problem is most evident are healthcare, housing and employment-crucial for community integration and normalisation of daily life. "This creates a barrier to community integration and, in turn, generates self-stigma", Fuentes continues. "The convergence of social stigma, self-stigma and structural stigma deeply harms individuals’ self-esteem, increases hopelessness and hinders recovery and life satisfaction", she explains.
"With this project, we want to help university students to adopt less discriminatory and more inclusive attitudes, so that in the near future, having a mental disorder will no longer be such a barrier to accessing work or housing or to leading a full and integrated life in society. After all, one in four people will experience a mental health issue at some point in their lives", concludes Vicent Balanzá, lecturer of psychiatry at the UV and co-principal investigator of the project.
Researchers from the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, the Department of Methodology of Behavioural Sciences and the Department of Medicine of the University of Valencia are participating in the study.
More information at @desestigma10; info.desestigma@gmail.com
