Why is stigma an issue in mental health services?

Answer 1

Because once you have a mental health record it stays with you for life. Most records are kept privite and can only be viewed under a court ruling, but say if you have been institutionalized it may end up on your public records making it hard to do things like get a good paying job since they often do these kinds of background checks.

Answer 2

Often times a person will delay seeking treatment for symptoms of mental illness (they don't yet know they may have depression, but they DO know something is wrong, such as loss of concentration, low or absent libido, mood instability, feeling sad much of the time,

)

This delay is often due to the person not wanting to be labeled as "crazy" or "sick", "unstable", "mentally ill", terms that are quickly being dismissed as millions of Americans step forward, admitting they have the illnesses that others do also

This is most regrettable, since depression is the most common of all the mental illnesses, and there are so many different types of depression, most of them can be resolved with therapy, medication, or even diet!

Depression also is not addressed due to the isolation and lonely feelings (even when surrounded by family at times!) of the person suffering from it.