Mental health problems are common, affecting thousands of us in the UK. Despite this, there is still a strong stigma (negative attitude) around mental health. People with mental health problems can also experience discrimination (negative treatment) in all aspects of their lives. Show This stigma and discrimination make many people’s problems worse. It can come from society, employers, the media, and even our friends and family. You may even experience internalised stigma, where you come to believe the negative messages or stereotypes about yourself. How do stigma and discrimination affect people with mental health problems?Nearly nine out of ten people with mental health problems say that stigma and discrimination have a negative effect on their lives. We know that people with mental health problems are among the least likely of any group with a long-term health condition or disability to:
Stigma and discrimination can also make someone’s mental health problems worse and delay or stop them from getting help. Social isolation, poor housing, unemployment and poverty are all linked to mental ill health. So stigma and discrimination can trap people in a cycle of illness. You may face more than one type of stigma: for example, you may also be stigmatised because of your race, gender, sexuality or disability. This can make life even harder. Why are people with mental health problems discriminated against?There are many reasons for this discrimination, including:
What can I do about stigma and discrimination?Challenge stigmaTime to Change campaigned to change the way people think and act about mental health problems. The campaign has now closed, but there is still plenty of useful information on their website about challenging stigma and discrimination when you see, hear or experience it. They have tips for talking to someone about their mental health, which can be as simple as asking someone if they’re sure if they tell you they’re feeling fine. Showing someone that there’s no shame or stigma in talking about how they feel could make a huge difference. They also have resources for your workplace or school if you want to help others understand mental health and challenge stigma. In Scotland, the anti-stigma organisation See Me has ideas on challenging stigma and discrimination. They also have resources and activities you could use at work. Join our networkIf you want to do more campaigning around mental health issues, you could join OPEN, our experience network. It’s an online community of people we ask to inform us what we do, through anything from quick feedback on a social media post to participating in a research project. We want to hear from people with a range of mental health experiences, whether yours is good, bad or something in between. I'm being discriminated against – what can I do?The Equality Act 2010 protects you from discrimination and lets you challenge it. It makes it illegal to discriminate against people with mental health problems when you:
To be protected, you need to show your mental health problem is a disability. You may not think of yourself as disabled, but the Equality Act could still protect you if you fit its definition of disability. You need to show you have a long-term mental health problem that makes your everyday life substantially difficult. Mind has more information on what this could mean for you. There are different ways you can experience discrimination, including:
There are different things you can do if you’re experiencing discrimination. In general, it’s best to try these steps to resolve things.
You don’t have to take any of these steps on your own. You can ask a friend or relative for help or help from a professional advocate. Further resources and informationThe Equality Advisory and Support Service can help and advise you if you’ve been discriminated against. Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) can advise you if you think you’ve been discriminated against at work. Civil Legal Advice (CLA) can tell you if you’re eligible for legal aid if you’re making a legal challenge. |