section_path: Society and culture/Perception and discrimination/Stigma
section_name: Stigma
paragraph_text: Stigma
  
  The social stigma associated with mental disorders is a widespread problem. The US Surgeon General stated in 1999 that: "Powerful and pervasive, stigma prevents people from acknowledging their own mental health problems, much less disclosing them to others." Additionally, researcher Wulf Rössler in 2016, in his article, "The Stigma of Mental Disorders" stated
  
  "For millennia, society did not treat persons suffering from depression, autism, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses much better than slaves or criminals: they were imprisoned, tortured or killed".
  
  In the United States, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to experience mental health disorders often due to low socioeconomic status, and discrimination. In Taiwan, people with mental disorders often face misconceptions from the general public. These misconceptions include the belief that mental health issues stem from excessive worry, having too much free time, a lack of progress or ambition, not taking life seriously, neglecting real-life responsibilities, mental weakness, unwillingness to be resilient, perfectionism, or a lack of courage.
  
  Employment discrimination is reported to play a significant part in the high rate of unemployment among those with a diagnosis of mental illness. An Australian study found that having a psychiatric disability is a bigger barrier to employment than a physical disability. The mentally ill are stigmatized in Chinese society and can not legally marry.
  
  Efforts are being undertaken worldwide to eliminate the stigma of mental illness, although the methods and outcomes used have sometimes been criticized.