Study Shows Fall in Mental Health Discrimination

A new study has shown how campaigning has led to a real reduction in the average levels of discrimination received by people living with mental health issues.

Research by the British Journal of Psychiatry of England's Time to Change anti-stigma programme has revealed an 11.5% reduction in average levels of discrimination.

The findings provide the first evidence that it is possible to change the way the public treat people with mental health problems but that a long term focus is needed to ensure that discrimination is removed from all areas of people’s lives.

There has been a significant reduction in discrimination from friends (14% reduction), family (9%), and in social life (11%) while the campaign target audience has also seen a significant increase in willingness to live with someone with a mental health problem in the future (15%).

This suggests that change is happening within personal relationships, and these are all areas which the programme has specifically targeted.

The evaluation covered the first phase of Time to Change, which ran between 2007 and 2011and was funded by the Big Lottery Fund and Comic Relief. 

For further information please read the Landmark study shows drop in discrimination against people with mental health problems on the Time to Change website.