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The National Attitudes to Mental Illness survey has now revealed the greatest improvement in public attitudes towards mental health in a decade.
The good news comes on World Mental Health Day. However, it is clear that there is still work to be done to end life-limiting stigma and discrimination according to the mental health anti-stigma programme Time to Change – which is part-funded by Comic Relief.
The report shows that more people than ever before are acknowledging that they know someone with a mental health problem (64% in 2013 compared with 58% in 2009). And overall the picture is one of a general shift to more tolerant attitudes and greater recognition that people should not be discriminated against on the grounds of their mental health.
Yet, despite these improvements, attitudes around employment are lagging behind and nearly half (49%) of respondents said they would feel uncomfortable talking to an employer about their own mental health.
In response to these findings, the Director of Time to Change, Sue Baker, said, “This robust research shows that public attitudes improved significantly last year, and at a far higher rate than over the last 20 years. In recent years we’ve seen thousands of people starting to speak out, sharing their own experiences to help shift perceptions, including MPs, high profile sportspeople and people in business. However, we shouldn’t underestimate the task ahead of securing long lasting, irreversible and far-reaching changes in attitudes, behaviour, policies and systems.”
One person to have benefited from Comic Relief and Time to Change’s work is 52 year old Lol. When depression threatened to overwhelm him, the irony wasn’t lost on the man who used to be a psychiatric nurse.
After months of trying to mask his feelings, he suffered a public panic attack during a meeting. ‘It was the most frightening thing ever’ he says. ‘All I wanted to do was lock myself away in my office. ’
For a long time, Lol tried to be strong in front of his family and friends. Eventually, he was diagnosed with clinical depression and realized that he should have sought support sooner.
Inspired to change the attitudes that stopped him seeking help, he applied to work with Time to Change, a campaign that uses Comic Relief cash to raise awareness about mental health.
He says, ‘Time to Change has given me a fantastic experience and helps me feel valued during my own struggle. I want people who experience mental illness not to be afraid to come out and seek help.’
Since 2007 Comic Relief has been funding Time to Change - England’s largest programme of work to tackle the stigma attached to mental health problems and the discrimination faced by people who experience them. Overall, the projects Comic Relief funds to help people experiencing mental health problems ensure they get their voices heard in the decisions that affect their lives and get the help they need to recover. Comic Relief also helps people to promote their rights and reduce the stigma and discrimination they face so that they feel more included in society.
Find out more(opens in new window) about Time to Change and what you can do to get involved here
