Mentalism (discrimination) - Blame

Blame

Interpretations of behaviors, and applications of treatments, may be done in an arrogant unjustified way because of an underlying mentalism, according to critics. If a recipient disagrees or does not change, they may be labeled as "non-compliant", "uncooperative", "treatment-resistant". This is despite the fact that the issue may be inadequate understanding of the person or his/her problems, adverse medication effects, a poor match between the treatment and the person's lifestyle, stigma associated with the treatment, difficulty with access, cultural unacceptability, or many other issues.

Mentalism may lead people to assume that someone is not aware of what they are doing and that there is no point trying to communicate with them, despite the fact that they may well have a level of awareness and desire to connect even if they are acting in a seemingly irrational or self-harming way. In addition, mental health professionals and others may tend to equate subduing a person with treatment; a quiet client who causes no community disturbance may be deemed "improved" no matter how miserable or incapacitated that person may feel as a result.

Clinicians may blame clients for not being sufficiently motivated to work on treatment goals or recovery, and as "acting out" when things are not agreed with or are found upsetting. But critics say that in the majority of cases this is actually due to the client having been treated in a disrespectful, judgmental, or dismissive manner. Nevertheless, such behavior may be justified by characterizing the client as demanding, angry or "needing limits". To overcome this, it has been suggested that power-sharing should be cultivated and that when respectful communication breaks down, the first thing that needs to be asked is whether mentalist prejudices have been expressed.