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Articles on Mental illness stigma

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The mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine – the worst in the state’s history – was carried out by a gunman with a known history of mental illness. AP Photo/Matt York

Mass shootings often put a spotlight on mental illness, but figuring out which conditions should keep someone from having a gun is no easy task

Red flag laws are an important step in the right direction, but much more work is needed to determine the role of mental health in the lead-up to and aftermath of mass shootings.
Darren Spencer at a memorial for his childhood friend Saheed Vassell, a 34-year-old father of a teenage son, fatally shot by police in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, April 5, 2018. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

To stop police shootings of people with mental health disabilities, I asked them what cops – and everyone – could do to help

Police are almost always the first responders in cases of mental health crisis. Too often these encounters turn bad, even deadly. But police were never meant to be in charge of US mental health care.
In 2018, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love went public with his panic attacks and struggles with anxiety. Reuters/Kim Klement-USA Today Sports

Why it matters that more athletes are talking about their mental health

Because professional athletes are thought to be paragons of physical and mental toughness, their psychological health has long been a taboo topic. That’s starting to change.
Mariah Carey recently announced she has bipolar II disorder. Most of us won’t know what that means. AAP/Alba Vigaray

Mood and personality disorders are often misconceived: here’s what you need to know

Media portrayals don’t help misconceptions about disorders such as bipolar, schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. So what do these terms actually mean?
Claire Danes as CIA agent Carrie Mathison in Homeland: in one episode, she stops taking her medication in order to solve the puzzle of who is attempting to kill her. Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet Broadcasting

Friday essay: TV’s troubling storylines for characters with a mental illness

A spate of recent TV shows feature protagonists whose mental health condition gives them special skills. But these are often accessed by rejecting medication.
In his new memoir ‘Born to Run,’ Bruce Springsteen details his lifelong battle with depression. Norsk Telegrambyra AS/Reuters

Why Bruce Springsteen’s depression revelation matters

With stigma about mental illness still pervasive, The Boss’ frank admission helps shatter some of the most common stereotypes about depression.
There are definite costs of mental illness in the workplace but the return on investment in a mentally healthy workplace can be a big boost to the bottom line. Rob/flickr

Australians are spending more on mental health services and employers need to take notice

New data shows Australians are spending more on mental health services and with costs to business in the millions, it’s time employers realised good mental health is good for the bottom line too.
A diagnostic label such as borderline personality disorder, with its stigma and propensity to invalidate the person’s suffering, clearly has many negative impacts. madamepsychosis/Flickr

Borderline personality disorder is a hurtful label for real suffering – time we changed it

Diagnostic labels usually describe symptoms, attempt to answer the question of what is wrong, and lead to a treatment plan. But “borderline personality disorder” fails on all three counts.
The many people who are mourning the loss of Phil Walsh should also reflect on what we as a society can do to help families avoid such tragedies. AAP/Ben Macmahon

When a parent is killed: family tragedy is often a mark of our broader failings

The killing of Phil Walsh is a tragedy for his family and the football community. It should also lead us to question whether we do enough to support families before the issues they face spiral out of control.
In this photo James Holmes and his defense attorney Daniel King sit in court for an advisement hearing at the Arapahoe County Justice Center, June 4 2013. Andy Cross/Pool/Reuters

James Holmes trial puts sanity on the stand

Jurors will likely be presented with conflicting notions of sanity and insanity. And they will be forced to confront widely held cultural assumptions about mental illness and violence.

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