Dr John Santopietro Describes the Stigma Barrier to Behavioral Health Issues

The intersection of mental and physical health has been around now for quite some time, but the stigma attached to behavioral issues remains a barrier to patients getting the help they need, according to John Santopietro MD, chief clinical officer of behavioral health at Carolinas HealthCare System.

“Stigma keeps people from wanting to talk with their doctors about what’s going,” Dr Santopietro said. “Stigma keeps us from investing in mental health research in the way that we need to and it affects communities and institutions.”

He added that facing stigma head on, rather than turning away from it, is an approach that needs to be taken at large.