Discuss the relationship between mental illness and social class, gender and ethnicity.

The biomedical approach to mental health conditions has largely dominated mainstream thought and treats mental illnesses as arising from individual biological or psychological factors; as something defective and in need of repair. Indeed, the term mental ‘illness’ automatically brings to mind the idea of something that needs to be cured. For example, a biomedical explanation of depression may be that it is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the brain or hormonal system and needs to be treated with medication such as anti-depressants or anti-psychotics. This is a very medicalised approach that is focused on the individual ‘defects’, rather than the many factors at play within society. Many sociological theories believe this approach as overly simplified and ignores large social patterns that exists in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. 
R.D Laing was one of the first psychiatrists to challenge the biomedical approach to mental illnesses. He developed the social realist theory of mental illness and pointed to structuralist explanations, suggesting that the causes of mental illness are located in the structure of society and in patients relationships with others, rather than solely in the individual. Some prominent research has identified that women, working class people and those from ethnic minority groups have been reported to have a higher prevalence of metal illness. Brown claims that women are more likely to suffer from a mental illness due to the fact they lead more stressful lives and are adversely affected by patriarchal gender roles within society. Link and Phelan have noted how amongst working class people there is an increased risk of mental health conditions due economic inequality and alienation. And Nazroo’s research has noted that ethnic minorities tend to suffer from mental illness more than others which can be attributed to the effects of discrimination and institutionalised racism. This understanding of mental illness comes from social realism and it is indeed hard to overlook these patterns. After all, gender class and ethnic differences result in sometimes vastly different social experiences, so why wouldn't they affect mental illness?
However, there are some limitations to the patterns and theories in this research. Many women are more prone to going to the doctors and reporting illnesses than men. Men may go to the doctors even less when experiencing a mental illness due to increased stigma. Men may also be expressing mental illnesses differently. According to Scambler, men are more likely to express mental health conditions by committing a crime, so are not recorded in some medical data. It must also be mentioned that medical practices surrounding mental illness have been accused of ethnocentrism - that they are biased towards ethnic minorities as they have been formulated on institutionally racist and culturally incenseive practices. This questions common ideas about mental illnesses and the ways that they are diagnosed. This links to sociological theories of control and labelling and points to they ways in which the concept of mental illness is much more nuanced than commonly throught.