Empathy and Mental Illness: Bridging the Gap
The purpose of this report is to offer strategies to bridge the empathy gap and promote open and honest conversations about mental health in our community.
Background Info
Sixty percent of upstate New York adults feel that people are caring and sympathetic to those who suffer from a mental illness. However, people suffering from a depressive disorder have a less rosy view, with only 46 percent of them believing that there is empathy for people with mental illness. This empathy gap reflects the myths and stigma surrounding mental illness, which can cause affected persons to delay treatment and have a poorer quality of life.
Sources
| Source | URL |
|---|---|
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | http://www.cdc.gov/ |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2015 | https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_2015.html |
| Psychology Today, The Stigma of Mental Illness is Making Us Sicker | https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brick-brick/201405/the-stigma-mental-illness-is-making-us-sicker |
| National Alliance on Mental Illness, Prevalence of Mental Illness | https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers |
| Mental Health.gov, Mental Health Myths and Facts | https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/myths-facts/index.html |
| National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health By the Numbers | https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers |
| U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Are You Taking Medication as Prescribed? | https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm164616.htm |
| Canadian Mental Health Association, The Relationship between Mental Health, Mental Illness and Chronic Physical Conditions | http://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/the-relationship-between-mental-health-mental-illness-and-chronic-physical-conditions/ |
| National Institute of Mental Health, Chronic Illness and Mental Health | https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/chronic-illness-mental-health/index.shtml |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Stigma and Mental Illness | https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/basics/stigma-illness.htm |
| National Alliance on Mental Illness, 9 Ways to Fight Mental Health Stigma | https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/October-2015/9-Ways-to-Fight-Mental-Health-Stigma |