• Action on Stigma - Update June 2007
  

In October 2006 the government launched its Action on Stigma initiative. After a number of events and other consultations a feedback report has been produced. The report together with a letter from Louis Appleby, Direct of Mental Health at the Department of Health is available to download below. The original Action on Stigma document can be downloaded from www.shift.org.uk

Click here to download the report

Click here to download the letter from Louis Appleby

"Stigma and discrimination can affect people long after the symptoms of mental health problems have been resolved. Discrimination can lead to relapses in mental health problems and can intensify existing symptoms."

Action on Mental Health. Social Exclusion Unit, Office of Deputy Prime Minister 2004.

As a development centre we are launching our Anti-Stigma and Discrimination work programme to coincide with World Mental Health Day on 10^th October 2006. Far too

often the approaches used to tackle stigma and discrimination reinforce the negative attitudes and myths within society. We believe that the way to change negative attitudes is to focus on promoting well-being and encourage people to consider what they need to do to include others who for whatever reason may have experienced stigma and discrimination in their lives. With this in mind we will be focusing on three key themes

• Recovery and Empowerment
• Well-being
• Everybody's' Business

Recovery and Empowerment

In order for people to regain their self esteem and confidence they need to feel valued and part of the society in which they live. We will be working with individuals and organisations to support the principles of ‘whole life' - focusing on holistic and personalised care rather than treating illness in isolation. We will listen to peoples' stories and use their experiences to describe how the attitudes or actions of others have affected their lives. These stories will in time provide key messages in our publicity campaign. This on its own is not enough and therefore ‘Everybody's' Business' needs to be developed to support this.

Well-being

All too often the physical health needs of people are ignored or missed. Yet evidence shows that the physical health needs of people with a mental health problem or a learning disability are likely to be greater than someone without them. Working closely with primary care and public health we will focus on how we can support people to consider and take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing, ensuring that there are mechanisms in place to deliver this. As part of the programme we will draw upon national work and encourage the promotion of mental wellbeing and its relationship to good physical health.

Everybody's Business

For too long, society has stigmatised people who need and use health and social care services. In the past people have been distanced from their families and local communities and isolated in institutions stripping them of their rights as members of our wider society. This has been based on a belief that those with mental health problems or other disabilities need to be treated differently to others and require only specialist care. By doing this society has denied themselves the opportunity to support mental well-being in others and in their community as a whole. Our work will involve building relationships with the general public and mainstream organisations to develop their understanding of how current misconceptions and/or media reporting affects negatively affects the lives of their families, friends, colleagues and members of their local communities. Initially we will concentrate on two areas within the stigma work programme, employment and media, however our other programmes will through their work offer support to a wide range of organisations. In order to support these areas we will draw upon the work currently underway at SHIFT, the national campaign to tackle stigma and discrimination, the National Mental Health Promotion Team, including suicide prevention and the National Social Inclusion Team, including the employer engagement forum. We will also support local public health leads. Within the development centre we have developed a virtual wellbeing working group which includes input from the Whole Life, Social Inclusion, Experts' by Experience, Choice, Primary Care, Older People and Social Care Programmes.

Our key activities during the next twelve months will include

• The Stories Project.
• Developing positive messages.
• Embracing the public through participation at local & regional events.
• Building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Working with the Media.
• Working with Employers.
• Physical Health and wellbeing.
• An East of England Partnership bid to the Big Lottery Fund Well-being Programme.

Contact -

Jennette Fields: jennette.fields@csip.org.uk