FACE Mental Illness

Combating Stigma and Discrimination

Stigma is defined as a mark or stain that is a permanent part of a person’s appearance or character and which sets him or her apart from society – what is normal.

Discrimination means doing things that actively deny people opportunities or target them for abuse. Discrimination also means not doing things such as inaction or neglect that causes harm.

People with mental illness and their friends and family often say that the stigma and discrimination they face is worse than the illness itself.

Self-stigma occurs when people with mental illness and their families internalize society’s negative attitudes towards them, leading to self blame and low self esteem.

Aside from being personally painful, stigma is dangerous.

  • It prevents people from asking for help in the first place.
  • It leads to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness – when, in fact, people can and do recover from mental illness.
  • It impedes investment in necessary mental health services and research as governments and granting bodies ignore this most important area of population health 


If you want to learn more…

 Stigma: The hidden killer (2006).  A full discussion on these issues. Available at: http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/Stigma/stigma_hiddenkiller.htm

 Stigma and discrimination (Chapter 3) in the Kirby Report #1, Mental health, mental illness and addiction: Overview of policies and programs in Canada (November, 2004). Available here. 

 Visions: Stigma and discrimination (Fall 2005). Vol 2 (6). A publication of the BC Canadian Mental Health Association. Available at: http://www.cmha.bc.ca/resources/visions/stigma

Suffering in silence: Stigma, mental illness in the workplace. Available here.

 

Anti-stigma campaigns

People with mental illness and their families, as well as mental health professionals, have developed a number of ways to combat stigma. Approaches involve:

  • Public education (as only a few examples; ad campaigns, films for presentation in schools, radio spots)
  • Speakers’ bureaus where people with mental illness and/or a family member tell their stories
  • Media watches to protest against stigmatizing language and inform journalists of ways of reporting in a more balanced manner
  • Mad Pride parades, educational theatre groups, art exhibitions
  • Advocacy efforts to change discriminatory laws and ensure the mental illness is addressed in human rights legislation.
  • Awards ceremonies that publicly acknowledge mental health champions

 
Campaigns In Canada

Transforming Lives, a multi-media anti-stigma campaign sponsored by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Ontario. Available here. 

Mind Your Mind for youth. Available at: www.mindyourmind.ca

Stigma Hurts, a website by and for consumers. Available at: http://www.mhwn.org/SHIndex.html

Changing Minds, A public education program from Newfoundland. See: http://www.cmhanl.ca/minds.asp#cmclips

 
International Campaigns

Beyond Blue, an Australian campaign. Available at: www.beyondblue.org.au

Like Minds Like Mine, from New Zealand. Available at: www.likeminds.govt.nz

Stigma Busters, a network of volunteers that monitor US media, sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Available at: http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Fight_Stigma

       

* Content developed by Barbara Everett, Ph. D.