Psychiatria pre prax 4/2013

Stigmatization and panic disorder

The stigma attached to mental illness and psychiatry results in the discrimination of people with mental disorders which is the major obstacle to early and successful treatment. Many people which might have benefit from mental health services will not seek help or fail to fully participate. Patients with panic disorder are rather forced to concentrate on somatic aspects of anxiety. A lot of prejudicial beliefs, emotions, and behaviours cause the discrimination against people labelled as mentally ill. Unfortunately, public prejudice and self-stigma may provide equally large barriers to achieving and enjoying life opportunities. Families worrying from stigma often keep patient from early psychiatric intervention. Labelling mentally ill patients is quite often from health care workers, especially physicians, who can exaggerate or underestimate the level of problems. Individuals who have more information about mental illness are less prejudiced against the mentally ill. Destigmatization can be reached through educating the families and public about the realities and myths of mental illness.

Keywords: mental illness stereotype, heterostereotype, autostereotype, labelling process, panic disorder, agoraphobia, implication for treatment, countertransference.