Stigmatization, Poor Understanding of Mental Illness proved Obstacles for Seeking Treatment

Factors such as widespread stigmatization, poor recognition of psychotic symptoms and lack of knowledge on where to seek help are found out to discourage many people from seeking help from psychosis, according in a report based from University College of London.
In a study of 21 individuals with mental psychoses, only three of them recognized that they were mentally ill. A lot do not acknowledge the problem and if they do, they don’t know where to get help. In addition, more than half believed that such symptoms are mere temporary and it will resolve on their own.
Those factors may explain why people who recognize early psychotic symptoms delay treatment, at such time where mental illness can be treated more successfully. More often, individuals acknowledge the problem and choose to undergo mental services after a crisis point or reports of socially unacceptable behavior.
Even though it’s expected that half of Americans will or have already experienced mental problems, a lot of people still view mental problem or having history of it as something that should be hidden because of fear of being discriminated.
Authors of the report recommend that intervention services should prioritize early detection and education of community about psychosis. Early detection and intervention helps increase chances of treatment and faster recovery.

Here is the link to the original report:
http://www.medwire-news.md/61/95149/Schizophrenia/Multiple_barriers_to_seeking_help_for_psychosis.html