“REAL progress” has been achieved in tackling stigma around mental health in the last two decades, but more remains to be done, according to new research.
A poll by See Me and Censuswide found there been a 60 percentage-point increase in the proportion of people who say they would have the confidence to start a conversation with someone about their mental health, up from 24% 20 years ago to 84% today.
Almost eight in 10 (79%) of those questioned agreed they would have the confidence to talk about their own mental health today, up from just over two in 10 (23%) 20 years ago.
The poll of 1000 people in Scotland in August also found that 96% of people said they would be willing to support someone who was struggling with their mental health.
The research was conducted to mark the 20th anniversary of See Me, Scotland’s national programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination.
It comes after the Scottish Mental Illness Stigma Study, released by See Me last month, found that people with severe, enduring and complex mental illnesses continue to face stigma, within their families, workplaces and healthcare settings.
See Me director Wendy Halliday said: “The programme’s milestone birthday provides an opportunity to take stock of what has been achieved.
“We’ve seen real progress in the last two decades, as our latest polling shows, but we know there are still certain groups and parts of society which continue to face stigma.
“As the programme moves forward, we’ll be doing more work with minority groups, including LGBT+ and black and ethnic minority communities, to ensure everyone feels able to talk about their mental health and seek help when they need it.”
