“I think the most important thing most mental health professionals need to do is say hello to people – a very simple thing. When I was an in-patient the person who had most impact was the cleaner, she was the most beneficial person – she would just talk to the patients, say hello, pass time with you – whereas, sadly, that seemed beyond the professionals”
This initiative is in response to research, which shows that - despite positive changes in attitudes towards people with mental health problems in some areas of life - 1 in 3 people report stigma and discrimination when they use mental health services.
Research and reports informing activity:
- Effectiveness of national anti-stigma programmes: Canada, England and Sweden
- Experiences of discrimination among people using mental health services in England 2008-2011, British Journal of Psychiatry, 2013
- The Potential for Attitude and Behaviour Change Driven by Mental Health Professionals: A Scoping Report for Time to Change, Disability Rights UK, 2014
- Right Here Right Now: people’s experiences of help, care and support during a mental health crisis, Care Quality Commission, 2015
- The Five Year Forward View Mental Health Taskforce: Public Engagement Findings, Mental Health Taskforce, September 2015
- The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: A report from the independent Mental Health Taskforce to the NHS in England, Mental health Taskforce, 2016
- A Better Understanding: Psychiatry’s Social Contract, mental health Foundation, 2015