Stigmatization of psychiatric patients in Zadar county

Čovjek kao individua, oduvijek je imao potrebu za pripadanjem, za zajedništvom s drugim ljudima, kako u početcima same povijesti zbog preživljavanja, tako i kasnije, zbog psihičkog i emocionalnog napretka. Predrasude i diskriminacija česta su pojava u današnjem društvu, a većinom počivaju na razno raznim stereotipima o određenoj skupini ljudi ili pojedincu, najčešće onih čije ponašanje odstupa od normi date zajednice te ih se izdvaja, izolira iz društva i označava kao nepravilnost, nešto što ne pripada, što je ''čudno i iskače'' iz društva, a ponašanje prema njima mijenja se i postaje neprijateljsko, osuđivačko, a često i nasilno. S jedne strane osobe s psihičkim bolestima suočavaju se sa svakodnevnim simptomima i invaliditetom koju nosi sama bolest, dok se s druge strane moraju nositi sa stereotipima i predrasudama koje proizlaze iz zabluda. Kao rezultat tome, osobama s psihičkim bolestima oduzimaju se prilike koje definiraju kvalitetan život; dobar posao, sigurno stanovanje, zadovoljavajuća zdravstvena zaštita, kao i socijalna intergracija s raznolikom skupinom ljudi. Također, zdravstveni djelatnici često nisu svjesni vlastitog ponašanja koje pridonosi stigmatizaciji. Prema istraživanjima, problemi koje psihijatrijski bolesnici navode su ti da im se ne daje dovoljno informacija o njihovoj bolesti i liječenju. Osjećaju prognostički negativizam, ponekad neizgovorenu prijetnju te prisilno postupanje s njima. Nadalje, s njima se komunicira kao da su djeca koja su isključena iz donošenja odluka o vlastititom liječenju i za koje se pretpostavlja da nemaju sposobnost biti odgovornim za svoje živote. Iz provedene ankete daje se zaključiti da u Zadarskoj županiji 26% populacije veće prihvaća psihijatrijske bolesnike, većinom osobe ženskog spola, 51% srednje prihvaćaju psihički oboljele osobe, dok samo 23% manje prihvaća psihičke bolesnike, neovisno o dobi ispitanika. Upravo takav stav stvara novo doba i boljitak odnosa prema psihijatrijskim bolesnicima, no potrebno je još mnogo truda i rada kako bi ih se integriralo i aktivno uključilo u društvo.Man as an individual, he has always been in a need to belong, to be in a fellowship with other people, both in the beginnings of the history for the sake of survival and later, for his psychological and emotional progress. Prejudice and discrimination are a often occurrence in today's society, mostly based on a variety of stereotypes about certain groups of people or people who behave in a way that deviated from the normative, people who are 'weird and pop' out of society. Behavior towards them changes and becomes hostile, judgmental and often violent. On the one hand, people with mental illness have to deal with everyday symptoms and disabilities that the disease carries, while on the other, they have to deal with the stereotypes and prejudices that are based on delusions. As a result, the opportunity for quality life such as; good job, safe housing, satisfactory health care, as well as social integration with a diverse group of people is taken away from people with mental illness. Also, health professionals are often unaware of the power of their behavior, which can also lead to stigmatisation. According to research, problems that psychiatric patients claim, is that they don't get enough information about their illness or treatment. They feel prognostic negativism, sometimes an unspoken threat, and forced treatment of themselves. Furthermore, they speak to them as if they were children who were excluded from making their own treatment decisions and that they don't have the ability to be in control of their own lives. The conducted surveys conclude that in Zadar County 26% of the population is more accepting psychiatric patients, mostly female, 51% are medium accepting people with mental illness, while only 23% are less likely to accept psychiatric patients, regardless the age of the respondents. These kind of results are creating a new age and a better attitude towards psychiatric patients, but it takes much more effort to actively integrate them into society