How Stigma Continues to Define Mental Illness

This week, I attended a Literary Lunch Break with author Roy Richard Grinker, who discussed his new book, Nobody’s Normal, with Jonathan Lear. Roy Richard Grinker is an author and professor of anthropology at George Washington University; he focuses on mental health, autism, and psychological anthropology of children. His interviewer, Jonathan Lear, is also an author and professor at the University of Chicago; his work focuses on the philosophical understanding of the human psyche, and the ethical implications of humans.

I chose to attend this event because I think it is really important to consider the impact of social factors when considering health issues; I feel like a lot of the time, mental health isn't really grouped into the same category as physical health, and I think that is, in part, because of the stigmatization of mental issues. And so, I was really interested in learning more about how society has influenced the way people perceive mental illness, and how stigmatization has become one of the biggest barriers in mental health care.

The event was centered around Grinker’s new book, Nobody’s Normal, which talks about the history of mental illness, and the stigmatization that has gone along with it, from the early 18th century until the present day. Grinker places an emphasis on the way in which stigma is a social process, which is starting to be dismantled through the normalization of mental illness. The book also talks about Grinker’s personal relationship with the field of psychoanalysis; he even traces his familial ties to the field as far back as his grandfather, who studied unter Sigmund Freud. 

One thing I thought was very interesting about the discussion was the role of Grinker’s grandfather in the second world war. He talks about how his grandfather was sent to the frontlines to care for soldiers that had been suffering from war-related stress, which impacted the mental health of many soldiers. I thought it was very interesting how Grinker’s grandfather described the soldiers in reference to their mental health; he did not apply the same stigma that was used in their society outside of the war. Rather than viewing them as abnormal because of their mental illness, he viewed them as normal people in abnormal circumstances, which helped to normalize mental illness in “regular” people. By showing how mental illness could affect people without any previous mental health issues, it opened up the discussion about who was susceptible to it. Just by changing the language when talking about mental health, it allowed for a better understanding of the causes, and removed the blame from the individual. This is extremely relevant to the present day, especially in regard to the pandemic; many people have suffered from mental illness because they have had such a massive disruption to their life. Thus, it is very important to understand the role of an individual’s environment in the disruption of their mental health, and moving away from the concept of conforming to a particular ideal. 

One thing I am left wondering about mental illness, especially as society is moving away from its stigmatization, is the way mental illness has continued to impact communities outside of the United States, especially for those that may come from places where mental health is still a taboo topic. Grinker comes from a family of psychiatrists that understand the toll that mental illness takes on a person, and the negative impact of stigmatization. However, he is very much focused on the United States; and so, I would like to know more about the global approach to the de-stigmatization of mental illness, and how stigma is being addressed in other places. 

I think this Literary Lunch Break was very interesting, and really helped me understand the social role of stigma in mental health. I haven’t yet read Grinker’s book, but just this seminar made me want to learn more about how to de-stigmatize mental illness, and the social determinants that play a large role.