Talking About Stigma

Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, might not have been a child psychiatrist, but he was deeply aware that children have feelings of fear, anger, and much more. Mister Rogers recognized that we need to build trust and comfort when talking about feelings with children instead of encouraging them to hide their emotions away. By stigmatizing mental health, it is more difficult for youth to feel comfortable about the worries, sadness, or anger they might be experiencing. This Winter 2020 issue of JAACAP Connect goes through many topics that have been negatively impacted by mental health stigma and discusses how child and adolescent psychiatrists can help to battle this stigma.