Over mental health issues
ANDREA LAMBROU
More than half of people in Lanarkshire who have struggled with their mental health have been stigmatised or discriminated against because of it.
A new study has found that 52 per cent of Lanarkshire residents are most likely to experience stigma and discrimination from those closest to them, from friends, family and work colleagues.
However there are signs of improvements, with 79 per cent of respondents saying they think public perceptions of mental health problems have improved over the past ten years.
The poll of more than 2000 people, carried out by Censuswide for See Me, the programme to end mental health discrimination, is the most extensive study into mental health stigma in Scotland for over five years, with 146 people polled in Lanarkshire.
See Me have been joined by TV presenter Gail Porter, who recently released a documentary about her mental health journey, to call for people across Scotland to be confident in recognising stigma and discrimination and knowing how to take action when they see it.
Across the whole of Scotland, the study highlighted the difficulty people experience in getting help, with GP practices being the most common place that people say they face stigma and discrimination.
The nationwide poll also found that 27 per cent of respondents would not want a person who has a mental health problem to take care of their child and one in ten (11 per cent) would not be willing to have a relationship with someone with a mental health problem.
However 85 per cent believe it is possible to have a mental health problem and live a meaningful life.
Gail Porter said: “While I was enjoying a successful career on television, I was experiencing serious mental health illness, but at the time there was still a real stigma around the subject so I had to smile and carry on as normal. Hiding it like this just made things worse.
“In those days, the media often labelled people ‘mad’ or similar derogatory terms, there was a stigma and discrimination around mental health that could quickly destroy your career.
“These days, it’s great that mental health is something that is talked about more openly and positively and the stigma has been reduced significantly but I think there’s a long way to go.”
Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey commented: “It is encouraging that 79 per cent of people who were surveyed think that public perceptions of mental health problems have improved in the last 10 years – and that over half of respondents would feel confident to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination, especially when they have been the recipient of such stigma themselves.
“Whilst we can’t establish direct cause and effect in relation to such improvements, I am confident that See Me’s work has played a significant part in these positive changes in public perception, along with complementary awareness-raising action by other partners such as Breathing Space, NHS Health Scotland, and the Scottish Recovery Network.”