Time to Change, England’s biggest mental health anti-stigma programme run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, celebrates a milestone year for tackling mental health stigma by announcing the top 10 ‘taboo tackling’ highlights.
- Members of Parliament (MPs) spoke out about their own experiences of mental health problems for the very first time as part of a debate in the Houses of Parliament in June.
- The Mental Health Bill edges closer to becoming law as MPs voted in favour of the bill, which will put an end to archaic laws that prevent people with mental health problems from participating in jury service and becoming or remaining a company director. The new law will also put a stop to MPs losing their seats if sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
- More celebrities speaking openly about their own experience of mental health problems, which encourages others to do the same. Celebrities opening up this year included Frankie Sandford, Freddie Flintoff and David Walliams.
- Some of our best loved soaps tackle mental illness on our screens with EastEnders’ Ian Beale and Emmerdale’s Zak Dingle both experiencing depression.
- Dramas across the pond have also highlighted mental health problems to a wide audience with Homeland seeing huge viewing figures with its nuanced portrayal of Carrie’s bipolar.
- Channel 4 embarks on the very honest and frank ‘4 Goes Mad’ mental health season in July. They also become the first national media company to sign the Time to Change pledge as an employer.
- Other major employers including British Gas, Pepsico, Lloyds Banking Group, Shell, Accenture, and The Labour Party sign up to the Time to Change pledge showing their commitment to tackling mental health discrimination in the workplace.
- The Department of Health becomes the first Government department to sign up to the Time to Change pledge as an employer, with Minister Norman Lamb aiming to encourage all other Government departments to follow suit.
- After signing the pledge himself earlier in the year the Archbishop of Canterbury hosts a multi-faith event with Time to Change at Lambeth Palace to discuss mental health stigma and how faith leaders and communities can work to tackle it.
- The NHS Mandate sent a strong message that mental health is a priority and recognised the importance of people with mental health problems being treated on a par with those with physical mental health problems in the NHS, a long overdue commitment.
2012’s milestone moments have helped to get the public talking about mental health more than ever, in turn empowering people with mental health problems to speak out and encouraging those without to consider their own views around the issue.
Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said: “2012 has been quite a year and we’ve seen some landmark events and discussions that have started to really challenge some common misconceptions about people with mental health problems. Momentum has been building over the last year, but we know we have a long way to go.
"My hopes for 2013 include more people from all walks of life and all ages feeling able to talk about their mental health problems without fear of prejudice. I also want to see more media coverage that helps to address common myths like the Channel 4 series last summer; more business leaders get on board with our growing movement of employers who see the business case for making the workplace more inclusive and mentally healthy for all; and more work with faith leaders to tackle mental health discrimination in all communities.”
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For more information please contact Hayley Richardson, Time to Change Senior Media Officer, on [email protected] or 07789 721 966
Notes to Editors
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 and Comic Relief.
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. 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.