mindout - for mental health

Research consistently shows that people's attitudes on mental health cause unfair treatment, social exclusion and isolation on the part of people with mental health problems.

Uninformed or distorted ideas can mean that colleagues and employers, mortgage and insurance providers, health professionals and other service providers discriminate unfairly against people with mental health problems. But even closer to home, the attitudes of neighbours, family, friends and partners can also cause hurt and damage.

To compound the issue, the rejection, misunderstanding and downright abuse that people with mental health problems experience often in themselves have a serious effect on their mental health. In fact, one survey showed stigma as the single most negative influence on the lives of people with mental health problems.

Discrimination causes damage: it can destroy self-esteem, cause depression and anxiety, and create social isolation and exclusion.

Harassment and abuse:
A survey by Mind in 1996 found that almost half of respondents had been harassed or abused in public because of their mental health problems. Many had been shouted at or threatened, and some had been physically attacked. Over half felt threatened or afraid of attack, and over a quarter had moved home because of harassment linked to their mental health problems.

Family, friends and neighbourhoods:
In a survey by The Mental Health Foundation in 2000, 56% of people with mental health problems said that they had experienced discrimination within the family. This ranged from lack of understanding, avoidance, and name calling to complete ostracisation from parents, siblings or their own children. At the same time, harassment of the families of people with mental health problems also takes place. In a survey by Mind in 1996, 24% of respondents said that their children had been teased or bullied, or that they were afraid they would be.

General public attitudes:
The majority of the general public (90%) say that society should adopt a more tolerant attitude towards people with mental health problems. But in practice, there are significant pockets of ignorance and prejudice and people with mental health problems are often viewed with suspicion and fear. As recently as March 2000, 24% of the public thought that people with a history of mental health problems shouldn't be allowed to hold public office, and 19% were frightened at the prospect of people with mental health problems living in residential neighbourhoods.

Keeping quiet:
It's easy to understand why many people with a history of mental health problems keep quiet about it. In a survey by The Mental Health Foundation in 2000, 42% of people with mental health problems didn't tell some members of their family about their experience, 22% didn't tell partners, 74% didn't mention it on application forms and 19% didn't even tell their GP.

	tell your story if you have experienced discrimination on the grounds of mental health.			read liz's story for her thoughts on attitudes and discrimination.