Children's mental health eradicating stigma

Misunderstandings, stereotypes and stigma surrounding mental health can become barriers to people seeking help. Stigmatization of people with mental disorders is manifested by bias, distrust, stereotyping, fear, embarrassment, anger, and/or avoidance. Stigma leads the (public) to avoid people with mental disorders. It reduces access to resources and leads to low self-esteem, isolation, and hopelessness. It deters the public from seeking, and wanting to pay for care. Stigma results in outright discrimination and abuse. More tragically, it deprives people of their dignity and interferes with their full participation in society. (U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, 1999)

DHS applies a variety of approaches to reach out and raise awareness of issues and resources related to many aspects of children's mental health. Many of these activities also decrease stigma and increase support. These efforts include Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, Parent Teaming Training, and Suicide Prevention Cross Trainings.