Homophobic Bullying: Effects on Male Youth

            

            The resentment of gay culture in heterosexual males is a topic that has not been publicly recognized as a serious issue in our society. Although, I realize that there are higher priorities that the LGBTTQ* community is fighting for, I feel obliged to share my thoughts on this issue. I have the permission of one of my friends, who will remain anonymous, to tell their story of the verbal and physical bullying he endured when peers at school labeled him as being gay. My friends story exemplifies the oppression of gay and lesbian persons by heterosexuals in our society. This is showing that oppression does occur in peoples in everyday lives; by having a dominant group oppress a subordinate group it forms a separation between the two groups (Mullaly, B., 2007). It is important to bring attention to all stigmas against the LGBTTQ* community and to also see a different perspective of homophobic bullying on heterosexual males. I started this interview by asking my friend what his first homophobic experience was and my friend responded with this,

“When I was in grade six, I had just moved into the province and there was a group of boys that had singled me out from everyone else in my class. This particular week in school, my class was learning about sex, so the group of boys decided to start calling me gay. The group of boys would even follow me around the school during the lunch hour and would physically harass me. After a while everyone in my class started calling me homophobic slurs. I knew I was not gay but there was nothing I could do to stop them. I felt humiliated about something I could not change.”

I then went on to ask my friend how did this verbal abuse affected him at that point in time and he responded by saying “I started to believe that something was wrong with me. I started to become depressed and did not want to leave my room. I would even try to fake sick because I did not want to go to school.” This shows just how the oppression between dominant and subordinate groups keeps their relationships separate. When an individual differs from the dominant group’s norms, the outcome is to maintain their separate beliefs. In order to achieve this, the dominant group must publicly express their disbeliefs, therefore oppressing the subordinate group.   

My friend continued on telling me about how his parents figured out that he was depressed, and that he eventually told them about the bullying that was happening in his class. His parents then went to the principal and explained that there son was being bullied He was then moved to a different class room for the remainder of the school year. Although my friend eventually started to fit in at school and made friends, he has now been diagnosed with severe depression that he is taking anti-depressants for. This shows the lasting effects that oppression can have on an individual at a tender age.

After fully understanding what my friend had gone through during this time in his life and seeing how it still was effecting his life, it opened my eyes to the lasting effects of oppression on youths. When youths are faced with the oppression of gay and lesbian persons by heterosexual peers, they are increasingly at risk to develop a mental illness. Youth who are bullied for sexual orientation are likely to have more emotional and behavioral difficulties, higher symptoms of depression, more hostile peer environments, greater rates of bullying, and less social supports (Bully Free Alberta, 2005). Although my friend was not actually apart of the LGBTTQ* community he was affected by the stigmas and oppression that the LGBTTQ* community faces on an everyday basis. This shows that although our society puts labels on different groups of people, it does not necessarily mean that individuals cannot be affected by the oppressions of groups that they do not belong to. 

All in all in order for society to stop the effects of oppression on persons in general, we need to change the norms of the dominant group. This statement comes from the picture that I have attached to my blog post. The picture shows a young female who is teaching her class about a quote by Frank Zappa that says “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.” This picture symbolizes to me that society needs to stop the oppression of all groups that deviate from the dominant group’s norms, starting with what we teach our youth. This is exactly what the LGBTTQ* community is fighting for, acceptance from society. When and if this is ever achieved in society other children will not have to face the same oppression that my friend has in the past, thus ceasing the mental illness that results from oppression.

-Chandra B

References

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada.

Bully Free Alberta. (2005). Homophobic Bullying. Retrieved from:

http://www.bullyfreealberta.ca/homophobic_bullying.htm#4

           

Image retrieved from: http://i.imgur.com/zkOaM

            

A Canadian Neo-conservative Prison System

            When looking at the video attached to my blog post, you can imagine what it was like for Erika Roach to be put in solitary confinement with her mental illness. Roach suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and had been neglected and mistreated by the Canadian prison system. From having her water shutoff for four days and being forced to drink from the toilet to failing to receive psychiatric therapy and medication. Roach later on developed another mental illness called dissociative disorder, which is similar to schizophrenia. It is difficult to comprehend that these types of abuse can happen to people with a mental illness and are going on within the Canadian prison system. The treatment of individuals with a mental illness within the Canadian prison mirrors the neo-conservative ideologies beliefs towards associating people with a  mental illness with the undeserving poor.     

The neo-conservative ideology evidently shows prejudices against people with a mental illness, they are looked at as undeserving of help from the government. Mullaly, B. (2007) writes “even if people become ill and cannot look after themselves, the judgment is often that they should have made arrangements to cover such contingencies and it is up to the family to look after them in the first instance” (p. 83). This statement is displaying how the neo-conservative ideology does not care for the people that struggle in society due to a mental illness. The neo-conservative ideology has two groups for people in need of help from the government, the undeserving and deserving poor.

In order to be apart of the deserving poor group, individuals would need to show that through no fault of their own they attained their condition that is impairing them to succeed in society. When looking at the neo-conservative perceptions of people who have a mental illness, we see they are shockingly biased because of how they blame the victim for their condition. This would therefor make them apart of the undeserving poor group, and they would not receive any help from the government. Through a neo-conservative lens the undeserving poor do not work, are irresponsible, and not honest taxpayers (Mullaly, B., 2007). The neo-conservative ideological beliefs are that by helping the undeserving poor they are reinforcing idleness and dependence on the government, and does not promote these individuals to support themselves. With this view, the deserving poor would only get a limited amount of help through residual welfare system, and this group has always been under represented. Roach was with out a doubt treated as if she was the underserving poor as an inmate inside the Canadian prison system, and this lack of adequate care results in the worsening of her mental health.

In the video attached to my blog post, Kim Plate discusses the problems between the Canadian mental health care system and the prison system. Plate describes a vicious cycle of neglect and mistreatment because of how people with a mental illness struggle to receive help for their condition. Being shutout by facilities because there is no room, there is a waiting list or they failed to meet requirements, leaves people with a mental illness neglected. With limited options for people with mental illness out of desperation many of them end up out going to a place where they can not be rejected, the Canadian prison system. Although they have a place to stay, they will be put in solitary conditions and be further neglected because of their condition. This ironically, only exacerbates the mental health issue and can lead to the developing of multiple mental illnesses. Plate even goes on to say that “If they start with mental health issues, there is virtually no chance that they won’t get worse in prison.” This shows the reality of the abuse the Canadian prison system puts inmates through.

There was a slide in the video attached to my blog post from 3:15 to 3:24 that reads “The mentally ill are further abused by a vengeful government…a government determined on building more jails while cutting funding for mental health.” This statement exemplifies just how our conservative government is continuing to keep this vicious cycle of mental illness in the prison system functioning in our society.  

All in all this video with Roach’s story of her time as an inmate in the Canadian prison system and the explanation made by Plate shows how it is possible for this abuse to happen. This video opened my eyes to the role that the Canadian government played in the neglect of their inmates mental heath and that without a doubt mirrors their neo-conservative incentive. The last slide in the video attached in to my blog post from 3:57 to 4:06 reads “Correctional Officers across Canada have repeatedly asked governments for special help to care for the mentally ill, governments continue to refuse them.” This statement challenges my thoughts on how Canada can be the human rights protector of the world but can continue to treat their citizens with mental illnesses as undeserving of their help. Obviously what the Canadian government is doing now is not working, so there needs to be rapid change, not slow or evolutionary change like the neo-conservative ideology believes.         

    

-Chandra B

References

Mullaly, B. (2007). The New Structural Social Work (3rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada.

Video retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MS1sUMrEV0

Depression Among Older Adults in Institutions

The causes of depression in older adults can be found issues such as the loss of a life partner, family, or friends, and changes in social roles and health. Although changes are inevitable in a person’s life they can be more challenging for older adults to handle, especially because these changes tend to occur at the same time. Older adults living in institutions have an extremely high rate of depression, with 30 to 40 percent suffering from mental illnesses (Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario). For the older adults who can not afford private housing, moving into a care home may be their only option. This loss of independence along with leaving behind many of their personal possessions to move into a care home in itself a depressing situation for older adults. The causes of mental illness in older adults can be brought back to poor lifestyle and self-care, and their ability in adapting to modern-day society (Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T., 2003). This statement highlights some of the reasons why there is an extremely high rate of depression among older adults residing in care homes. The controversial issue with older adults suffering from depression in these institutions is that caregivers can overlook their symptoms, as they are masked by the inevitable results of aging.

The older adult’s lifestyle changes completely, having to get used to the new norms and having to make new relationship with other residents of the care home. The transition can be likened to a culture shock. The caregivers and residents of the care home promote relationships between residents by organizing tournament games, clubs and parties for all residents to participate in. In care homes caregivers are responsible to help older adults who are no longer capable of completing self-care tasks such as, bathing and feeding. For older adults who loose the ability to preform theses once basic tasks, they often feel a loss of autonomy, which ultimately results in depression. Older adults  have the belief that they should return to more traditional, non-medical approaches to healthcare and begin to look after themselves rather than turning to medicine (Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T., 2003). The reasoning for this is not only to reduce their dependency for medication but also to give themselves a sense of independence in handling their own health.

It is vital that older adults are capable of adapting to modern-day society, especially in care homes where there are already norms that they are expected to follow. When an older adult looses focus on what role they have in their environment, they can feel as if they do not serve a purpose in society. In attempting to follow norms older adults may believe that they are behaving in a socially responsible manner whereas if they deviate they feel they are behaving in an irresponsible manner (Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T., 2003). Thus they feel guilty and search for reasons to justify why they differ from modern-day society. This can lead to mental illnesses due to the stress of feeling isolated from other residents and caregivers in their care home.

Older adults that have depression within an institution are often untreated due to caregivers not recognizing their condition. This happens because older adults may  express or exhibit certain symptoms that are common to both aging and depression more frequently and in specific ways, which leads to caregivers to under diagnosing and therefore not treating the depression. The types of symptoms commonly shared with aging  and depression are physical problems such as having difficulty with sleep,  insomnia, and feeling tired all the time (Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario). This a difficult obstacle for care givers to determine if an older adult has depression, which results in individuals not receiving treatment. The older adults with untreated depression often also suffer from other common mental disorders that include; Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, anxiety disorders or delirium (Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario). This is an issue that can not be easily fixed in care homes because of the difficulties in clearly identifying and diagnosing symptoms of depression while taking into account the normal effects of aging.      

There are a variety of successful strategies that are available for older adults to overcome depression, which include talk therapies, increased social support, and psychiatric medications. The recovery rate for moderate to severe clinical depression is 60 to 80 percent using talk therapy and medication in combination (Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario). Through socialization older adults can attain meaningful relationships with other residents that not only help them escape from isolation but give them the means to fit into society. This is why having residents participate in tournament games, clubs and parties is a very important aspect of care homes. Not only will they be able to have a role along side other residents, they can make meaningful relationships that help prevent depression.

In suggesting how to prevent mental illness in older adults, it can be brought back to achieving self-actualization. When an older adult can adapt to the lifestyle of living in an institution, it can create a role for the individual (Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T., 2003). Thus, giving the older adult a sense of purpose in the care home that results in the individual recovering from their mental illness. Although diagnosing older adults with depression is difficult, once it is, the worsening of the depression can be prevented by having social interaction with others, talk therapy, and in severe cases using medication. Looking back at older adults suffering from depression when adapting to the norms of their care homes, all they actually need is a support system that recognizes their needs and helps them meet them.    

-Chandra B

References

Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T. (2003). Heath Social Representations of Health and Illness among ' Baby−boomers' in Eastern Canada. Journal of health psychology, 8(5), p.485 – 499.

Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario. (n.d.). Seniors and Depression. Retrieved from: http://www.ontario.cmha.ca/seniors.asp?cID=5800

Physical Disability Goes Hand in Hand with Mental Illness

The word disability is ironically in itself a challenge added to people with a physical disability because of the stigma that society attaches to the word itself and consequently to the people themselves. Whether people are born with a physical disability or have attained one over time, the potential for the individual to develop a mental illness remains the same. Individuals with a physical disability struggle to keep up with developmental norms, from graduating from kindergarten with their peers to having a family of their own. This is where the policies of the social welfare state come into use; to protect and help individuals who are in need of guidance through their personal struggles. Although there are policies that help protect from societies stigmas against people with a physical disability, the limitations put on these individuals runs deeper than the surface. 

It was found that amongst Canadian children between the ages of 5 and 14, approximately 155,000 or 4% of all children in this age group that have some form of activity limitation (Statistics Canada, 2008). McDougall et al. (2004) have found “children with activity-limiting conditions/impairments were significantly more likely to be socially isolated and have psychiatric disorders, low competence in recreational activities, and school difficulties compared to children without such health problems” (p. 36).  This statement is easy to understand because of the obvious challenges that children with physical disabilities will face when trying to accept their disability and be accepted by their peers. When a child is trying to understand that they are different from their peers they  can develop mental illnesses; this can come from the resentment of their own disability and the trauma that comes with not meeting societies norms at a tender age.

Children with a physical disability are likely to experience mental health conditions and learning disabilities, have missed school days, receive special education, visit health professionals, have been hospitalized, and used prescription medication (McDougall et al., 2004). These experiences that children with a physical disability endure in order to succeed in school and socialize with peers, shows in the limitations put on the child’s potential achievements and societies norms. Not only will these barriers hold back children with physical disabilities from keeping up with developmental norms in school, it will also affect the child’s mental development. Canadians who are born with a physical disability are likely to be happier than individuals who experienced the disability later in life (Statistics Canada, 2007). This shows that although children may have challenges keeping up with societies norms as they develop into adults, it can also help them learn to adapt to living with their physical disability.

            People with a physical disability are 5 times more likely than their nondisabled counterparts to be involuntarily unemployed (Turner, B. & Turner, J., 2004). When looking at this unjustified ratio, it gives a broader scope on the limitations put on individuals with a physical disability as adults. For individuals with a physical disability who already have a psychiatric disorder or have struggled with one as a child, the added stressor of being unemployed can amplify their mental illness. The psychiatric disorders among people with physical disabilities show a need for the social welfare state to provide guidance through their personal struggles.

            Rehabilitation efforts of individuals with a physical disability were well beyond the period of active rehabilitation efforts (Turner, B. & Turner, J., 2004). This shows that people with a physical disability are in need of more services to help recover from their physical disabilities limitations. Having more services available to people with physical disabilities will also give them an equal start in relation to their peers to be able to function in society. For adults with a physical disability getting counseling and having access to services is an opportunity for individuals who are showing signs of depression to get the help they need. Adults with a physical disability have social challenges and psychiatric challenges that intensify one another:

“The observation that persons with a physical disability are at increased risk for depression is presumably associated with the fact that physical disability implies a condition characterized by diminished capacity to perform social and occupational roles and, therefore, to meet personal needs and achieve related satisfactions” (Turner, B. & Turner, J., 2004, p. 247).

This statement, in a nutshell is trying to explain why people with a physical disability are at such a high risk of depression. People with a physical disability feel that their condition characterizes them as incapable of functioning as a self-sufficient member in society.

Overall all persons with a physical disability have a high risk of depression because of the stigma that society attaches to the word disability. Individuals who have a physical disability can feel that the condition they are in means that they cannot live up to their expected role in society. In hindsight this is not the case for persons with a physical disability, they are just as capable as their nondisabled counterparts when given job opportunities. The welfare state needs to provide more programs that enhance the sense of mastery that may well contribute directly toward decreased risk for depression (Turner, B. & Turner, J., 2004). When society thinks of the word disability they attach unrealistic limitations on to the individual; perhaps the language used to describe persons with a physical disability is in need of a revolution.

-Chandra B

References

McDougall, J., King, G., de Wit, D., Miller, L., Hong, S., Offord, Da., LaPorta, J., & Meyer, K. (2004). Chronic physical health conditions and disability among Canadian school-aged children: a national profile. Disability and Rehabilitation, 26 (1), 35–45.

Turner, B. & Turner, J. (2004). Physical Disability, Unemployment, and Mental Health. Rehabilitation Psychology, 49 (3), 241 – 249.

Statistics Canada. (2006). Study: Disability and well-being. Retrieved from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/060912/dq060912d-eng.htm

Statistics Canada. (2008). Children with disabilities and the educational system — a provincial perspective. Retrieved from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-004-x/2007001/9631-eng.htm