The Stigma Towards Mental Illness: Perspectives on the Attitudes Towards Psychiatry in the Medical Field

Stigma is the greatest obstacle facing mental illness. It affects all persons related to this field. Whether you are a patient, sufferer, caregiver, relative, psychologist, or psychiatrist you will feel the stigma attached to mental illness. the stigma towards mental illness and psychiatry is not only present in the general population but also in the medical field. Medical students and physicians carry negative attitudes towards persons with mental illness and their mental health providers. Several international anti-stigma programs were made to overcome stigma attached to mental illness. Interventions targeted many groups: patients, caregivers, school students and teenagers, medical students, health and mental care professionals, media, clergy and religious leaders, policemen, and general public.