Approximately one in five people suffer through a mental disorder in their lifetime; most of these individuals say that the stigma associated with mental illness is worse than the actual symptoms itself.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, stigma has been identified as one of today’s foremost obstacles to improved mental health care; it tragically deprives people of their dignity and interferes with their full participation in society. Stigma in relation to people with mental illness is often a combination of a lack of relevant knowledge (ignorance), attitudes (prejudice) and behaviour (discrimination). Simply put, stigma refers to an attitude. The resultant discrimination is the behaviour that exemplifies that attitude.
Managing Stigma is designed to educate, engage and celebrate mental health for all. Read the featured articles, participate in the poll, explore the upcoming events and share this resource through social media to raise awareness and spark conversations about this important topic! The best weapon in battling stigma is understanding. Follow us on Twitter @shepellfgi and help make #mentalhealth a trending topic today!