No one thinks about it but prejudice can extend beyond discomfort or frustration. These actions and behaviors can lead to issues related to a person’s mental health. The Institute of Mental Health has published that mental disorders often occur in a variety of ways. It can be traumatic child abuse or oppression that can have a devastating effect on mental health, but the stigma and discrimination women experience every day and so on has emerged as a contributing factor to mental health.
While sexism may seem harmless to some, serious and persistent discrimination can have lasting consequences. The study found that sexual harassment and poor mental health were linked. Studies have found that women who report sexual harassment are found to be three times more likely to experience a decline in their mental health over the next four years including coping with clinical depression.1 Although sexual harassment may have ended, these women suffered serious mental health consequences years later.
One study found that verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual harassment of flight attendants were associated with higher levels of stress. While private comments or inappropriate contact may seem insignificant to others, these actions can be meaningful to the interviewer and dress up their mental health. If sexuality is reduced, we can see a decrease in mental health problems.
Unfortunately, the negative effects of sexual harassment on mental health can also lead to drug abuse. As people struggle to deal with their mental health properly, they may turn to drugs or alcohol to try to treat themselves. Studies suggest that racial and sexual discrimination lead to an increased risk of women ‘s overdrinking and drug abuse in men.3 In addition to the treatment of co-morbidities, these drug abuse often worsens their mental health problems. These connections may explain why mental health continues to decline as the years go by.
No one has to deal with mental illness alone. It is a high time that we have to stand up for these issues openly and find solutions to them.