Battling the Stigma of Mental Illness

Gabriella Clemente, Verrazano class of 2018, earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

The title of my Capstone is the “Stigma of Bipolar Disorder.” When given the task of choosing what topic to write about, I immediately knew I wanted to discuss mental illness and the stigma surrounding it. Being a healthcare professional, I saw first-hand the struggles clients faced with managing different disorders and the effects it had on their overall well-being and quality of life. I felt it was my duty as a registered professional nurse to educate the public and challenge misconceptions surrounding the disorder by providing a number of interventions to decrease stigma. Furthermore, I felt this topic was necessary because there are a large number of people who suffer from mental illness and are not seeking necessary treatment for fear of judgement and labeling. 

Gabriella earned her RN

Before starting my research, I was not exactly sure what I wanted to include in my capstone or how I wanted to go about it, but after meeting with my mentor Barbara Schiano, I was put on the right track! Professor Schiano helped me in identifying the main topics of my paper and provided helpful advice when looking for topics to research. Working with a mentor was a truly great experience and is something that I will always remember. It was both encouraging and enlightening to work with someone who was passionate about my topic and helped me achieve a great outcome. 

In the future, I hope to continue my research and gain more insight and knowledge on mental health, so I can incorporate it into the care of my patients and help them in achieving their goals.