Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 2 May 2018
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Future of Mental Health Care
Mental Health Services: Discussion (Resumed)
1:30 pm
Mr. Martin Rogan:
Stigma is an interesting term. It means a mark or sign. In mental health, a person does not necessarily have an outward sign of having a mental health need. There can be a degree of self-stigma. Traditionally, stigma has been associated with any phenomenon that has a poor outcome so in the past, it was TB, HIV or single parenthood if it was going to have a negative life course impact. We know that most people who use mental health services have a successful outcome but, unfortunately, the social narrative has not changed from the past.