Mental Illness and Stigma

What is the problem?

Stigma is a major barrier preventing people from seeking help.  Many people living with
a mental illness say the stigma they face is often worse than the illness itself. Mental illness affects people of all ages and from all walks of life. It can take many forms including depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.

What is Stigma? 

Stigma is made up of two parts: negative and unfavorable attitudes, and negative behaviours that result from those attitudes. People living with a mental illness often experience stigma through:

• Inequality in employment, housing, educational and other opportunities which the rest of us take for granted.
  
  
• Loss of friends and family members (the social and support network).
  
  
• Self-stigma created when someone with a mental illness believes the negative messages. 

What is the MHCC doing?

The Commission launched Opening Minds in 2009.  It is the largest systematic effort to reduce the stigma of mental illness in Canadian history.

Initially, Opening Minds is working with partners across Canada to identify and evaluate existing anti-stigma programs to determine their effectiveness and potential to be rolled out nationally.

In 2009, Opening Minds issued a “Request for Interest” nation-wide. Organizations were invited to express their interest in becoming a test site where a program would be run and evaluated. About 250 submissions were received and an impartial selection
committee made up of national and international experts helped choose projects for further review. New projects are added on a regular basis to the evaluation process.

Who is involved?

Opening Minds is working with 65 partners and 45 active projects across Canada. During the preparation of the Senate’s Out of the Shadows report, which lead to the creation of the Commission, national consultations recommended anti-stigma efforts be undertaken.  The following initial target groups were selected.

• Healthcare providers
  Healthcare providers are often under pressure to see patients quickly and may not have the time or the training to adequately address mental health issues. People who seek help for mental health problems report that they often experience some of the most deeply felt stigma from front‐line healthcare personnel.
  
  
• Youth 12-18
  70% of adults living with mental illness say symptoms developed before they were 18 years old. The fear of stigma often delays diagnosis and treatment; therefore early intervention can make an enormous difference over a lifetime.
  
  
• Workforce: One out of every four to five employees is affected by mental health issues every year. Many workers choose to go untreated rather than risk being labeled as “unreliable, unproductive, and untrustworthy”.
  
  
• Media: The media has considerable influence in shaping public opinion. Stereotypes and misconceptions about mental illness seem to be prevalent in our media. More than a third of the news stories about mental health focus on murder and violent crimes

What are the results?

Each component of Opening Minds (Pilot Projects, Public Awareness, Media and Professional Education) has evaluation built into it. As individual projects are evaluated, that information is used to inform the next steps, for example, toolkit development, program replication, and media campaign development. These outputs are also evaluated and that information is used to determine future directions.

View the current results.

How will all of this reduce Stigma?

Opening Minds serves as a catalyst; mobilizing and focusing the actions of others to make a real difference in the area of anti-stigma.

Pilot Projects: More than 50 anti-stigma programs have been identified and selected for review. Our teams of researchers and evaluators are determining which ones show an impact in stigma reduction. The results are starting to come in for a range of programs and the successful ones are being replicated across the country.

Read personal stories from pilot project participants.

Media Evaluations: Does the news media shape public opinion about mental illness? Do media depictions perpetuate negative stereotypes of mental illness? The MHCC is currently reviewing news reports (print, television, radio and internet) from across Canada over the past five years and will continue to monitor news coverage until 2012. The findings of this research will better inform how we approach the media regarding mental health issues. In addition, presentations to journalism students are being held at universities across Canada. Presenters include journalists, researchers and individuals who have experienced stigma first-hand.

Watch videos from the various symposiums.

How can I get involved?

Learn about anti-stigma programs that can have a positive impact in your profession, school or workplace. Visit the MHCC web site for updates on project evaluations and tools so that you can implement best practice and effectively decrease stigma.