Time to Change response to NatCen British Social Attitudes survey
Jo Loughran, Interim Director of Time to Change, the mental health anti-stigma campaign run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, said:
“This backs up our own research showing that too many people with mental health problems are discriminated against by family and friends and at work. Having a mental health problem is hard enough as it is, and negative reactions from others can make it even harder, stopping people getting the help that they really need. Every day we hear first-hand the devastating impact that stigma has on people’s lives: causing them to lose jobs and their chance to fulfil their potential, and damaging relationships with friends and family.
“The research highlights that people with schizophrenia are feeling the benefits of improved attitudes much less than those with depression. We must get to a point where no matter what the diagnosis, no one with a mental health problem is made to feel ashamed and isolated. It also provides more evidence that men’s attitudes lag behind women’s, and this gender gap will be a priority for our future campaigns.
“However, this latest data confirms that things are changing for the better. Our own recent research shows that 3.4 million English adults have improved attitudes since 2008, and people with mental health problems are facing less discrimination[1]. But there is still a long way to go before no one has to face discrimination on the grounds of mental illness.”
Ends/
Notes to Editors
Spokespeople and case studies available for interview:
- Jo Loughran, Interim Director at Time to Change
- Case studies with lived experience of mental health problems
For more information please contact Emma Warren, Senior Media Officer at Time to Change at [email protected] or call 0208 2152 341/07584 003 703.
* For access to a range of free images to accompany mental health news stories please visit: https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/getthepicture. These images have been developed by the anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.
Time to Change
We are Time to Change, a growing movement of people changing how we all think and act about mental health problems.
Our voice is stronger and louder thanks to funding from the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.
Our campaign is run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and thousands more organisations have joined us to make change happen.
For more information visit 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 reduce the stigma faced by people with mental health problems, the Department has been supporting Time to Change, the anti-stigma campaign run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, since 2011.
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 funding of Time to Change represents Comic Relief’s largest UK grant and is part of the organisation’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 £20million, 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. They will be providing a further £1.1m to support the Time to Change campaign in 2015-16.
The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
Since June 2004 we have awarded over £6.5billion to projects that make a difference to people and communities in need, from early years intervention to commemorative travel funding for World War Two veterans.
Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.
[1] Public knowledge, attitudes, social distance and reported contact regarding people with mental illness 2009–2015 and Viewpoint survey of mental health service users’ experiences of discrimination in England 2008–2014, Corker et al.