How can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century?

The following dissertation is a critical review of the issues and questions surrounding the ways in which mental health nurses can best address stigma in the 21st century. The work of several key theorists of stigma including Goffman and Link and Phelan are examined and critiqued to provide a clear...

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Main Author: Bates, Laura
Format: Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
English
English
Published: 2011
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/24790/
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author Bates, Laura
author_facet Bates, Laura
author_sort Bates, Laura
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description The following dissertation is a critical review of the issues and questions surrounding the ways in which mental health nurses can best address stigma in the 21st century. The work of several key theorists of stigma including Goffman and Link and Phelan are examined and critiqued to provide a clear definition of stigma upon which to base the discussion. The understanding of stigma is used to specifically address the question of how stigma is manifest in wider society and the effect that this has upon the lives of people with mental health problems. Areas covered include the role of the media in perpetuating stigma, the historical basis for stigmatising practices in society, social exclusion and its consequences and finally the impact that this has upon professional practice. The discussion covers the underlying principles of contemporary mental health legislation and critically evaluates the tensions between various strands of legislation, the way in which risk is perceived and managed by practitioners and whether risk averse practice perpetuates stigma against mental health problems. This leads onto the question of how mental health law itself might contribute to the perpetuation of stigma by removing power and responsibility from the hands of service users. Finally the discussion concludes with some suggestion about how a future change in the principles of mental health law might alter the way in which mental health problems are perceived and allow nurses to practice in a way that is less focussed on risk management and more emphasis is given to recovery.
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spelling nottingham-247902022-03-21T16:09:09Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/24790/ How can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century? Bates, Laura The following dissertation is a critical review of the issues and questions surrounding the ways in which mental health nurses can best address stigma in the 21st century. The work of several key theorists of stigma including Goffman and Link and Phelan are examined and critiqued to provide a clear definition of stigma upon which to base the discussion. The understanding of stigma is used to specifically address the question of how stigma is manifest in wider society and the effect that this has upon the lives of people with mental health problems. Areas covered include the role of the media in perpetuating stigma, the historical basis for stigmatising practices in society, social exclusion and its consequences and finally the impact that this has upon professional practice. The discussion covers the underlying principles of contemporary mental health legislation and critically evaluates the tensions between various strands of legislation, the way in which risk is perceived and managed by practitioners and whether risk averse practice perpetuates stigma against mental health problems. This leads onto the question of how mental health law itself might contribute to the perpetuation of stigma by removing power and responsibility from the hands of service users. Finally the discussion concludes with some suggestion about how a future change in the principles of mental health law might alter the way in which mental health problems are perceived and allow nurses to practice in a way that is less focussed on risk management and more emphasis is given to recovery. 2011 Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/24790/3/Dissertation.pdf application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/24790/2/DissertationReferences.pdf application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/24790/1/dissertationtitlepages.pdf Bates, Laura (2011) How can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century? [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] (Unpublished)
spellingShingle Bates, Laura
How can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century?
title How can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century?
title_full How can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century?
title_fullStr How can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century?
title_full_unstemmed How can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century?
title_short How can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century?
title_sort how can mental health nurses effectively challenge stigma in the 21st century?
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/24790/