Some mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and ADHD, have become more accepted in society. People can now talk about them at work, at home and online and often be met with understanding.
This change matters. It makes it easier to ask for help and harder for employers and institutions to pretend mental health problems do not exist.
Public sympathy is uneven. Some conditions are widely understood, while others are still judged harshly.
As some conditions become familiar, they set the template for what mental illness is supposed to look like. Presentations that do not fit that picture are more likely to be perceived differently.
The recent Baftas Tourette’s incident showed how quickly behaviour can be moralised when it breaks a social rule.
Research on Tourette stigma finds public understanding is often limited and stereotypes continue to shape how the condition is perceived. Tics can be mistaken for deliberate misbehaviour, especially when they are seen as offensive or involve taboo words or racial slurs.
Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and some personality disorders, including borderline and narcissistic personality disorder, tend to attract less empathy and more suspicion. A big part of the difference is familiarity, whether the behaviour fits a story people already understand. When it does not uncertainty can tip into fear.
Fear is...Read more
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