SOCI 275 - Sociology of Mental Health

3 Credits

(Every Fall semester)
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 215 Introduction to Medical Sociology. Ever wonder why the subject of mental health has been stigmatized for quite some time? Have we as a nation turned the corner on destigmatizing the taboo topic of mental health? Before COVID and some cases of student suicides, the topic of mental health had to overcome several obstacles in order to garner national attention. After the pandemic, high profile celebrity and collegiate student suicides, and teenagers negatively affected by social media, the attention on mental health has increased as younger generations spotlight the issue. In this course, we will examine the history of medicalization of mental illness along with its stigmatization, and potential destigmatization. The objective is to understand how social behaviors, and demographics impact who will more likely be susceptible to deteriorating mental health. We will also discuss the impacts of socioeconomic status, race, and gender as explanatory factors for ameliorating mental health issues.