further defined by the American Heritage College Dictionary, as a "mark of disgrace or reproach" (Brown & Bradley, 2002, p. 81). Brown and Bradley pointed out that stigma is more than the use of negative words to label a person, it is a form of disrespect toward the individual who suffers from the label. A person labeled as mentally ill is disrespected and this discourages them from finding the help they need.
Mechanic (2002) reported that there are people with psychiatric conditions that could benefit from treatment, who do not receive this care due to inadequate insurance coverage and stigma. Stigma that is associated with mental illness can be a barrier to treatment regardless of race. Perceived stigma, lower self-esteem, and depressive symptomatology are symptoms that may be a part of the mental illness. In addition attitudes toward mental illness and seeking mental health treatment may prohibit service use. Negative attitudes toward mental illness can result in under-diagnosis since individuals may try and avoid this stigma. Patients may convince themselves that they can handle their symptoms or they may believe that their problem does not require treatment.
Mechanic (2002) presented findings from three nationally representative cross-sectional studies. Results showed that the study population included a large proportion of individuals with symptoms that indicated the possibility of mental illness who did not seek treatment. Results from surveys revealed that most who do not seek treatment reported that they wanted to solve their problems on their own (72%) or they believed that the problems would resolve themselves (61%). Findings also demonstrated correlates of care-seeking to be a positive attitude toward seeking mental health care, a physical condition associated with a perceived need, and being in the 45-54 year age group. Positive attitudes toward help and insurance coverage were associated with increa...