Addressing Mental Illness Biases Can Start Before Medical School

In the June 3 issue of Psychiatric News, Dr. Heidi Combs described several benefits of early exposure to mental health training in the course of medical education. Namely, she described the benefit of reducing stigma associated with mental illness. I agree, and I applaud Dr. Combs’ work in this area. Stigma and misinformation about mental illness start early. News accounts and media portrayals of mental illness contribute to this.

At the University of Washington, undergraduate students interested in mental health topics can take an elective seminar in contemporary issues related to mental health. The course covers recent cases involving such topics as insanity, mass murder, police involvement with people with mental illness, and assisted suicide, among others. As part of the course, students view video clips and read media accounts of high-profile cases on these topics. Students are also provided supplemental academic literature related to each course topic.

Each week, students discuss in class the topics with an aim to remedy misinformation about mental illness and relevant laws and policies. The class also encourages students to think critically about these topics—including policy, legal, and ethical implications—and the bases for their opinions. The role of stigma toward people with mental illness is a running theme in the course. Here is one student comment:

“This class has really opened my eyes to the issues we have regarding mental health in this country. … I’ll leave this class with a better ability to discuss these topics with families, friends, or strangers. The opportunity to discuss all these issues with my classmates, with their various opinions, created an educational experience with intellectually stimulating discussions. While we didn’t ‘find the answers’ to the issues discussed, I definitely will leave this class with a better understanding regarding mental health and stigma in our country.”

In the words of Dr. Combs: “[W]e should aim to reduce stigma toward mental illness, amplify empathy and understanding, and ultimately provide better care for persons with mental illness.” This cannot begin too soon.

Jennifer Piel, M.D., J.D. (Seattle, Washington) ■