02.07.11
Public join the fight against mental health stigma
Campaigners have welcomed the public reaction to the new mental health strategy.
As reported on nationalhealthexecutive.com last week, professional bodies like the British Psychological Society were very pleased with the new strategy, No Health Without Mental Health, which allocates more funding for talking therapies, raises mental health up the medical agenda and seeks to end the stigma surrounding mental health.
But the public also reacted well, with thousands of people taking to Twitter to discuss their own experiences with mental health difficulties, including celebrities Rebecca Front, Alastair Campbell, Caitlin Moran, Sue Perkins and Stephanie Merritt.
People said they were trying to reduce the stigma by showing how many people in all walks of life had suffered mental health issues and that encouraging openness would foster greater understanding.
Sue Baker, director of anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, said: “This just shows how many people are affected by a mental health problem. It is fantastic that Rebecca Front’s leadership and the viral power of Twitter have helped encourage thousands more people to talk openly about this issue.
“Time to Change has already started to see a big movement of people with mental health problems who are actively involved in addressing stigma and discrimination and that movement has been given a further boost.”
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