Nearly 90 per cent of people with mental health problems have experienced stigma or discrimination, a major UK survey has revealed.
Of 7000 people questioned, 64 per cent said they felt isolated, 61 per cent said they felt worthless and 60 per cent said they felt ashamed as a result of the stigma and discrimination they had faced. A total of 68 per cent said they felt judged.
However, the results revealed that more than half of the respondents (57 per cent) found it easier to talk about mental health problems than in previous years.
Conducted by mental health campaign Time To Change, the survey also found that 60 per cent felt better once they started talking about their mental health problems.
The survey found that as well as 88.2 per cent of those questioned saying they experienced stigma or discrimination, 37.6 per cent said it happened less often than every month, but more than once a year.
The findings were released to coincide with Time To Talk Day - a day when people across the UK are encouraged to have open conversations about mental health, in order to tackle the stigma.
The survey questioned 7001 people in England on Time To Change's network, aged mainly between 16 and 80.
Mark Schueler, 30, who was diagnosed with depression in late 2014, has organised a coffee morning event in London to coincide with Time To Talk Day.
He said: "Talking about it has been quite useful to deal with thoughts going around in your head, and talking to people who have also been through clinical depression has been a great help."
Mr Schueler continued: "It is very isolating. It was a very difficult thing, you wouldn't wish it on anyone else.
He said he hoped his coffee morning would encourage people to openly talk about mental health.
"If you break an arm, or have cancer, people are more sympathetic. But if you say you have got depression people would say 'pull your socks up', or 'get on with it'.
Sue Baker, director of Time To Change, said: "This survey shows that stigma is still having a huge impact on how people feel about themselves and holding back their lives. We have got to continue to make progress, show that mental health isn't something to be ashamed of."
Share
