£2m campaign to alter the attitudes to mental health
A MAJOR campaign to tackle stigma and discrimination of people with mental health problems will be launched in Wales today.
Three charities – Mind Cymru, Hafal and Gofal – have secured almost £2m to run Time to Change Wales.
The campaign hopes to emulate the success of Time to Change in England, which has featured England cricketer Marcus Trescothick, and the Scottish See Me scheme, which was launched nine years ago.
Time to Change Wales will run a high-profile, national social marketing and media campaign to challenge negative attitudes that can surround mental health.
The launch comes nine years after the original deadline for a national anti-stigma campaign to be launched in Wales.
Lindsay Foyster, director of Mind Cymru, said: “We know that campaigns to tackle discrimination against people with mental health problems have had real success in England and Scotland through the work done by Time to Change and See Me. This partnership gives a great opportunity for Wales to build on this work and make a positive difference to the lives of people who experience mental distress.”
And Ewan Hilton, chief executive of Gofal, said: “Experience of stigma and discrimination are stories we hear every day from the people who use our services – experiences that prevent people from seeking help, contribute to people becoming more unwell and prevent people from living fulfilled lives.
“Yet we know that what drives people to discriminate is built on ignorance and myth.”
Research by the Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales and by the Mental Health Research Network has revealed the extent of discrimination. Almost half believe people who have experienced depression are unsuitable to work as primary school teachers and two thirds of people in Wales would not rent a room in a shared flat to someone with a mental health condition.
Time to Change Wales will also see people with experience of mental health problems delivering antidiscrimination training to employers and community leaders.
