| Despite public awareness campaigns | | | | surrounding mental illness or the information |
| highlighting the issues facing people with | | | | just isn't getting through. For example, |
| mental health problems and the fact that no | | | | mental health problems can occur as an |
| one is immune to developing a mental illness, | | | | isolated case in relation to a specific set |
| people with mental health problems are still | | | | of circumstances and once treated, will never |
| facing unfair discrimination, prejudice and | | | | happen again, some types of mental illness |
| stigma every day of their lives, not just | | | | are episodic in nature, and most people who |
| from members of the public but also from | | | | seek help for mental health problems do go on |
| businesses, banks, employers and even when it | | | | to lead full and normal lives. Probably the |
| comes to taking out an insurance policy. | | | | most important point is that just because |
| | | | someone is suffering from a mental health |
| The truth is, any one of us can develop a | | | | problem doesn't automatically mean they pose |
| mental illness, regardless of our age, | | | | a greater risk than anyone else. Insurance |
| gender, location, occupation or social | | | | companies calculate their insurance premiums |
| status. Actually, the statistics show that at | | | | on the level of perceived risk, which is |
| least one in four of us will experience some | | | | supposedly based on medical evidence. Perhaps |
| kind of mental health problem in the space of | | | | this is the area that needs to be addressed. |
| any one year. Mental health problems can be | | | | |
| hugely diverse in nature and can range from | | | | So what can you do about it? Certainly, if |
| mild cases of depression and anxiety to more | | | | there is a case of unfair discrimination then |
| serious cases of bipolar depression and | | | | it is possible to sue under the Disability |
| schizophrenia with the types of symptoms and | | | | Discrimination Act but according to Mind, the |
| the degree of intensity of these symptoms | | | | leading UK charity for mental health, only a |
| varying from person to person. However, there | | | | small number of cases are taken out under |
| are problems to face in the outside world | | | | this Act and of these, few are ever |
| too. | | | | successful. Similarly, the Citizen's Advice |
| | | | Bureau (CAB) report that most claims against |
| Possibly one of the most distressing aspects | | | | payment protection insurance fail when mental |
| of mental illness is the isolation and social | | | | illness is involved as it is a common |
| exclusion often experienced by the sufferer | | | | exclusion in many insurance policies. |
| purely as a result of ignorance and | | | | |
| misunderstanding on the part of other people | | | | It isn't all doom and gloom though, people do |
| and it is this that needs to change. If we | | | | seem to be waking up to the fact that |
| consider insurance for example, something | | | | something has gone wrong somewhere and that |
| that most people take for granted, but not if | | | | people with mental illness deserve to have |
| you have had a mental illness in the past or | | | | the same rights as anyone else. Over in the |
| are suffering from a mental health problem at | | | | USA for example, a study by the Mental Health |
| the moment. | | | | America Association found that the majority |
| | | | of Americans believe that people with mental |
| The findings of a major report on | | | | health problems should no longer be subjected |
| discrimination against the mentally ill | | | | to discrimination by health insurance |
| showed that Insurance companies will often | | | | companies. In fact, some 96% of Americans |
| deny insurance or place exemptions on an | | | | believe that health insurance should also |
| insurance policy when there is a history of | | | | cover mental health. Here in the UK the |
| mental health problems, even if those | | | | government are aware of the issues |
| problems existed many years ago and are no | | | | surrounding mental health and exclusion and |
| longer an issue. This applies to any type of | | | | are tightening up legislation to protect |
| insurance and not just life insurance either, | | | | people from unfair discrimination. |
| travel insurance, mortgage insurance, | | | | |
| employment insurance, payment protection | | | | In the meantime, we would all do well to |
| insurance, all become more difficult to | | | | remember that mental health problems are not |
| obtain if you have a mental health problem or | | | | only common, they are treatable, and can |
| a history of mental illness. | | | | affect any one of us at any time. Until we |
| | | | insist that people with mental health |
| This would appear to suggest that insurance | | | | problems receive the same rights in society |
| companies as well as many others still do not | | | | as everyone else, the problem with insurance |
| understand the issues or the facts | | | | will persist. |