Seriously, we need to talk about mental illness

Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to mental illness.

Mental health became an important focus of our campus community after it became evident proper support was needed for the safety of our students. I have experienced firsthand the impact of the tragedy that our campus experiences when mental health is not prioritized. However, this conversation has yet to emphasize serious mental illness and the importance of studying it on our campus.

North Carolina ranks in the top 10 states of mental illness prevalence. Those with ‘serious mental illnesses’ experience extreme challenges in their mental, behavioral or emotional health. With nearly 6% of people across the U.S. experiencing severe mental illness, it's fairly common in our community.

Chances are, if you don’t live with one yourself, a friend or family member is directly impacted by a serious mental health condition.

It may be surprising to mention this in our college context, as completing rigorous academic programs is expected of students. But even disorders that impact brain development often don’t express outward symptoms until someone’s early 20s. Students on our campus may be halfway into their undergraduate careers before mental health interferes with their ability to complete their academic plans.

Despite having an American Psychological Association accredited program, NC State does not offer a clinical psychology degree. Those seeking to assess and treat mental health disorders will not currently be prepared to do so through our University. Clinical psychology specializes in understanding and addressing serious mental illnesses that other graduate psychology degrees cannot.

Mental illness has been my main academic interest throughout my time at NC State, both as an undergraduate and current graduate student. Since we don’t have research within our University for mental health, I have explored the work of external faculty that do.

Amy M. Jimenez is a staff psychologist and assistant professor in residence at the University of California Los Angeles who researches serious mental illnesses. I spoke with Jimenez about one of the most culturally misrepresented mental disorders, schizophrenia.

TV and movie depictions throughout my life have depicted those living with the disorder as violent and dangerous individuals who go out of their way to be hurtful.

“[Schizophrenia] stigma is unwarranted, and we have to talk about mental illness as exactly that; an illness,” Jimenez said. “It's not like a character flaw. It's not like these people are intentionally going out of their way to be disruptive or even to harm others. The actual rates of violence amongst folks with schizophrenia is quite low.”

Another reason I sought to connect with Jimenez specifically was their research on a key characteristic of schizophrenia, the self-other boundary.

It is common for those living with the disorder to believe that others understand what they’re thinking without saying anything. On the other extreme, individuals can experience a separation between themself and others, causing distrust and lack of communication.

I haven’t clearly encountered this self-other boundary in media depictions or the current diagnostic definition of schizophrenia. But the self-other boundary has been understood for nearly a century. It was described as characteristic to the disorder by Dr. Kurt Schneider, a psychiatrist whose ideas from the 30s shape how we address schizophrenia to this day.

I take for granted the understanding of how my thoughts and feelings are my own. Scientists need to research these complex aspects of mental health to develop relevant care.

While I don’t live with schizophrenia, the disorder still impacts me directly. Aside from being one of the top 15 leading causes of disability around the world, schizophrenia has a significant economic impact on our society.

“The cost per patient for an individual, schizophrenia is higher than any other mental illness,” Jimenez said. “Their level of disability is higher than any other mental illness. So it's a real financial strain, you know, to care for these folks. It becomes a burden on the system.”

The stigmatization people experience due to misconceptions can be dehumanizing.

“We need to also let people know that these are human beings, these are people who are worthy of respect, who are worthy of healthcare, just like all of us are,” Jimenez said. “Most of the folks I work with are just amazing people. They have schizophrenia, but they're the kindest, most generous, gentle folks that I get the pleasure of working with every day. So I think also talking about them in human terms, and not sort of letting these stereotypes be the only thing that people see, is also important.”

Schizophrenia is just one of the serious mental illnesses that impact us all and this discussion only begins to encompass the need for these focuses in our community. Bringing mental health research and discussions to our campus will impact our students and science for the better.

If you or someone you know is having a mental health emergency, the Counseling Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 919-515-2423. If you are in a crisis situation and need immediate help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Article originally published via Technician, found here.