Abstract
Stigma towards mental health disorders is a powerful obstacle to the recovery and social inclusion. This is why social awareness and empathy must be addressed as soon as possible. Among the possibilities for intervention, new technologies, and more specifically virtual reality (VR), are a very attractive resource for young people who spend a large part of their free time playing video games. The aim of this chapter is to present a proposal that can be applied to university students to address stigma in mental health whose central axis is a virtual reality programme, Inclúyete VR. This programme fosters empathy towards those who suffer from a mental health disorder, allowing them to “experience” how a person feels when they have hallucinations and what the possibilities are for a psychosocial approach to the disorder. The session should be led by a mental health professional familiar with the software. The total duration of the VR programme is approximately 10 minutes, which is very appropriate to initiate a discussion-reflection about mental health disorders.
TopIntroduction
The stigma inherent in mental health disorders is a powerful burden that hinders recovery and seriously interferes with the social integration of those who suffer from it. We can define stigma as “a set of attitudes, usually of a negative nature, that a social group holds towards another minority group based on a series of characteristics that allow them to be differentiated, thus being a universal phenomenon with biological, psychological, and social bases that simplify information” (López et al., 2008, p. 46). It would be a chronic and acute stressor that would act as an invisible burden in addition to the obstacles caused by the existing clinical symptomatology (Major, et al., 2003; Petersen, et al., 2014). Thus, among other disadvantages, stigma would prevent people from asking for help in the presence of psychopathologies (Mellor, 2014; Pinto--Foltz et al., (2012). As noted above, the effects of stigma are multiple and varied, such as social isolation or loneliness, which affects self-esteem by generating feelings of shame, inferiority, and self-rejection that end up being internalized (Quinn et al., 2015). In terms of the process of stigma acquisition and development, the available research literature shows controversial results. For example, some studies indicate that young people lack clear ideas about what a mental disorder is, its treatment, or what characteristics would be associated with it (Spitzer and Cameron, 1995). Other studies indicate that young people manifest initially low levels of stigma (Schülze et al., 2003) and they have basic knowledge about what mental illness is and they do not have negative attitudes towards people who have a mental disorder (Watson et al., 2010). On the other hand, we also find in the literature several studies showing that under-18s do manifest certain types of prejudices, and beliefs about dangerousness and unpredictability, as well as attributed weakness of character, which would lead to an increase in social distance (Schachter et al., 2008).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Self-Esteem: Is how we value and perceive ourselves. It's based on our opinions and beliefs about ourselves, which can feel difficult to change. We might also think of this as self-confidence.
Stigma: Is when someone views you in a negative way because you have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that’s thought to be, or actually is, a disadvantage (a negative stereotype). Unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common. Stigma can lead to discrimination.
Social Inclusion: Is the process by which efforts are made to ensure equal opportunities—that everyone, regardless of their background, can achieve their full potential in life. Such efforts include policies and actions that promote equal access to (public) services as well as enable citizen’s participation in the decision-making processes that affect their lives.
Virtual Reality Program: Is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real, making the user feel they are immersed in their surroundings.
Mental Health: Is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development.
Mental Disorder: Is characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behaviour. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. There are many different types of mental disorders. Mental disorders may also be referred to as mental health conditions.
Empathy: The ability to share someone else's feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person's situation.