Imagine being refused entry to a museum or being barred from your local swimming pool or park? Then imagine it's because you have a mental health problem.

It may sound far fetched, but regulations like these exist in some parts of the world and illustrate the everyday stigma and discrimination that people with mental health problems face.

The impact of mental health stigma and the most effective ways of combating it will be discussed during the first meeting of the International Anti-Stigma Alliance, to be hosted this week in London by Time to Change, England's mental health anti-stigma programme run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.

The two-day meeting (17th and 18th September) will bring mental health anti-stigma programmes and initiatives from over 14 countries together, along with some of the world's leading academics from the field, to share latest evidence and best practice from across the globe. New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the US, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England will all have representatives at the meeting.

Sadly, mental health stigma is still prominent throughout the world. A sign outside a museum in a small town in Japan, reads 'Those with mental disease are declined to enter the museum' and in other parts some leisure facilities imposed restrictions forbidding people with mental health problems from using the fitness centre. Three major airlines in Asia also refused to allow passengers with mental health conditions on to a flight unless they were accompanied by a psychiatrist. In certain parts of the world, people with mental health problems are not permitted to enter a swimming pool or use public parks. Some of these examples of discrimination were highlighted in the book 'Shunned' written by Professor Graham Thornicroft, who will be attending the conference.

In the UK there have also been examples of blatant discrimination, which was only very recently overturned. In was only in February this year that the Mental Health Discrimination Bill was passed, which put an end to the archaic laws that prevented people with mental health problems from carrying out jury service or becoming a company director. If an MP had been sectioned for longer than 6 months due to mental illness they would have been forced to 'stand down' from their role. Although this was passed in February, it took until July this year to overturn the legislation in its entirety.

To respond to the global commonality of stigma and discrimination, there are now more anti-stigma programmes than ever. The London meeting will bring together people leading this work in order to share learning and practice and findings from evaluations. There are also hopes that this meeting will lead to more collaboration like the export of the hard-hitting Time to Change advert 'Schizo' the Movie' which has been re-worked by the US anti-stigma campaign 'Bringchange2mind' founded by Hollywood actress Glenn Close. The US version of the advert, playing on TV stations across America, features the actress with her sister and her nephew, both of whom have mental health problems.

Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change said:

"Experiencing stigma and discrimination is still a daily reality for people with mental health problems across the world. This is a global challenge, and that's why we are keen to bring people together from many different countries to share learning and the latest research in order to help and support each other to deliver effective anti-stigma work.

"We've already seen the benefit of sharing practice and learning with others parts of the UK, Europe and internationally. The development of Time to Change was informed by earlier campaigns that had been running in New Zealand and Scotland. We've now gone on to share our own learning to help guide the development of programmes in Canada, the US, Denmark, Sweden, and Ireland. As a founding member of the Global Anti-Stigma Alliance we want to encourage and support more investment in other parts of the world to address the discrimination and stigma that restricts our freedoms and impacts on our lives."

Professor Graham Thornicroft, author of the book 'Shunned, discrimination against people with mental illness' said

"I am delighted to be attending this global meeting bringing together 14 anti-stigma programmes from across the world. Recent work in the USA and Germany shows that without specific efforts to reduce stigma it festers and may even become worse. After many years of neglect there is now a growing international effort to carry out high impact campaigns to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental health problems."

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For further information please contact Lorna Harris, Senior Press Officer on 020 7215 2341 or email [email protected]

Notes to Editors

Extracts taken from 'Shunned - discrimination against people with mental illness' by Professor Graham Thornicroft

Time to Change

Time to Change is England's most ambitious programme to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems. The programme is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.

For more information go to www.time-to-change.org.uk

Department of Health

On 2 February 2011 the Department of Health launched No health without mental health, a cross-government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages which has the twin aims of keeping people well and improving their mental health and, when people are not well, improving their outcomes through high-quality services.

The strategy is based on six shared objectives, developed with partners from across the mental health sector, and focuses on 'Recovery' and the reduction of stigma and discrimination as overarching themes.

To help deliver the objective to reduce the stigma faced by people with mental health problems, in 2011 the Department agreed to support Time to Change, the anti-stigma campaign run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. The Department of Health is providing the campaign with up to £16 million of funding together with a further £4 million from Comic Relief and £3.6 million from the Big Lottery Fund. This funding will help Time to Change continue their work until March 2015.

Comic Relief

Comic Relief is committed to supporting people living with mental health problems. The projects Comic Relief funds ensure people with mental health problems 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. The £4 million grant to Time to Change is the second time the charity has awarded Time to Change its largest UK grant and is part of Comic Relief's long standing commitment to this issue. For more information go to www.comicrelief.com

Big Lottery Fund

Big Lottery Fund supported the first phase of Time to Change with funding of over £16million, and in 2013 awarded the programme a further £3.6m from its Well-being programme to build on its success and work with targeted communities. Big Lottery Fund also supported the campaign's roll out across Wales.

The largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, Big Lottery Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has awarded close to £6bn to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since 2004. For full details of the Big Lottery Fund's work visit: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk