Mental Health Advocacy and Volunteerism

Since the author was young, he has always had the view that social change is the responsibility of everyone in society. The author was raised under the guise of “when you become successful, reach back and help someone less fortunate than you.” For this reason, volunteerism has always been a person agenda of his. After the author started his program at Walden University, he looked into opportunities where he could put his psychological knowledge to work. One of these programs was speaking to individuals about mental illness with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Through the work that the author does with them, it allows him to teach, give presentations, and advocate for others. The role of mental health advocacy groups are vital in spreading information on mental illness and research has shown that they are very affective in researching those in power in the US and the UK (Morselli, 2000).

There is a stigma that comes with being mentally ill. Many of these individuals would like to live a normal life having to be labeled as “crazy” or someone who may go off on others. Mental illness is portrayed in the media as something that is the cause for every school shooting or abnormal act that has garnered the public’s attention. Therefore, it is important that people not only educate others about it, but advocate for those who are suffering from it. Families typically need someone to educate them on it as well. Families oftentimes feel lost, as a member of their family has been either recently diagnosed or currently going through something that they cannot understand. Providing education is one of three strategies that research has shown to change attitudes about mental illness (Corrigan et al., 2001). Other strategies include contact with someone who has an illness and protest which would aim to suppress stigmatizing attitudes (Corrigan et al., 2001).

The author would like to expand the work that he has already started. This particular area of interest is important to him because his mother has dealt with a mental illness most of her adult life. Likewise, the author himself was diagnosed with a mental illness many years ago, which was also the catalyst for pursuing a degree in psychology. The author feels that he would be able to bring a different point of view of mental illness as someone who grew up with it in his family and is currently affected by it as well. Recently, as part of his responsibility of giving back, the author undertook training a couple of weeks ago to give presentations to educators, police officers, politicians, and others. This will allow the author to reach a wider audience that could somehow affect how others view mental illness and hopefully change the tide of the discrimination and stigma that affect those who have been diagnosed and their families who continuously face an uphill battle in receiving support in dealing with a loved one with this illness.

Through working as a volunteer with NAMI and other agencies that focus on challenging the stigma with regards to mental illness, it would be strong in Human Ethics because there is a real human need for it. Likewise, Civic Engagement, Advocacy, and Collaboration would be strong, whereas Scholarship would be medium, and Systematic Thinking, Reflection, and Practice would be low. As mentioned earlier, part of the training that the author has received will allow him to speak about mental illness to educators, police officers, and politicians, as well as others. This encompasses the Civic Engagement axis.

Although the author can share personal experience and experiences of others’ stories (Collaboration), scientific knowledge that has been gained from his education program will allow him to share research (Scholarship) on the latest information that has come to light in treatment of mental illness and the effectiveness of different programs, such as peer programs, in treating it. Many people who advocate on mental illness can share experiences from themselves or family members but they are unable to give information about evidence-based treatments or research from peer-reviewed journals. Likewise, since many of them are not in the field of science or medicine, they lack the ability to do the research needed.

This particular role of volunteerism is very strong in Advocacy as it requires to not only give presentations, but also to teach classes about mental illness to peers and family members. Advocacy plays a crucial role in de-stigmatizing mental illness (Byrne, 2000). The author would represent not only those members who have a mental illness, but he would also represent a group of people who have family members with one as well. Every time the author speaks about mental illness, he is an advocate for this cause. Being able to have the ability to address such a diverse group of individuals to share knowledge on mental illness will hopefully be of great help to all of those who suffer from a mental illness and those who have to take care of loved ones with one.

References

• Byrne, P. (2000). Stigma of mental illness and ways of diminishing it. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 6(1), 65–72. http://doi.org/10.1192/apt.6.1.65 ↩
• Corrigan, P. W., River, L. P., Lundin, R. K., Penn, D. L., Uphoff-Wasowski, K., Campion, J., et al. (2001). Three strategies for changing attributions about severe mental illness. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 27(2), 187. ↩1 ↩2
• Morselli, P. L. (2000). Present and future role of mental illness advocacy associations in the management of the mentally ill: Realities, needs and hopes at the edge of the third millennium. Bipolar Disorders, 2(3p2), 294–300. http://doi.org/10.1034/j.1399-5618.2000.20310.x ↩