Stigma: Ignorance, Prejudice Or Discrimination? AUTHOR's PROOF

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Stigma: Ignorance, Prejudice Or Discrimination? AUTHOR's PROOF BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY (2007), 190, 192^193. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.025791 EDITORIAL AUTHOR’ S P ROOF Stigma: ignorance, prejudice or discrimination? IGNORANCE: THE PROBLEM OF KNOWLEDGE GRAHAM THORNICROFT, DIANA ROSE, ALIYA KASSAM At a time when there is an unprecedented andNORMAN SARTORIUS volume of information in the public domain, the level of accurate knowledge about mental illnesses (sometimes called ‘mental health literacy’) is meagre (Crisp et al, 2005). In a population survey in England, for example, most people (55%) believed that the statement ‘someone who cannot be held responsible for his or her Summary The term stigma refers to these processes are undoubtedly complex, own actions’ describes a person who is problems of knowledge (ignorance), academic writings on stigma (which in mentally ill (Department of Health, 2003). the field of mental health have almost en- Most (63%) thought that fewer than 10% attitudes (prejudice) and behaviour tirely focused upon schizophrenia) have of the population would experience a (discrimination).Most researchinthis area made relatively few connections with legis- mental illness at some time in their lives. has been based on attitude surveys, media lation concerning disability rights policy There is evidence that deliberate interven- representations of mentalillness and (Sayce, 2000) or clinical practice. For ex- tions to improve public knowledge about violence, has only focuseduponfocused upon schizo- ample, legislation such as the Americans depression can be successful, and can re- with Disabilities Act of 1990 in the USA duce the effects of stigmatisation. In a cam- phrenia, has excluded direct participation and the Disability Discrimination Act paign in Australia to increase knowledge by service users, and hasincludedhas included few 1995 in the UK are now being applied about depression and its treatment, some intervention studies.However,studies. However, there is to cases involving mental illness (23% states and territories received an intensive, evidence that interventions to improve of all Disability Discrimination Act cases coordinated programme while others did in the UK). Second, most work on men- not. In the former, people more often public knowledge about mentalillness can tal illness and stigma has been descrip- recognised the features of depression, and be effective.The main challengeinfutureis tive, overwhelmingly describing attitude were more likely to support help-seeking toidentify whichinterventions willproduce surveys or the portrayal of mental illness for depression or to accept treatment with behaviour change to reduce discrimination by the media. Little is known about counselling and medication (Jorm et al, against people with mentalillness. effective interventions to reduce stigma. 2005). Third, there have been notably few di- A series of government surveys in Declaration of interest G.T. and rect contributions to this literature by England between 1993 and 2003 revealed A.K. undertake stigma-related research service users (Chamberlin, 2005). Fourth, a mixed picture. On one hand there are there has been an underlying pessimism some clear improvements: for example, supported by an educationalgrantfromeducational grant from that stigma is deeply historically rooted the proportion thinking that people with Lundbeck UK Ltd. and difficult to change. This has been mental illness can be easily distinguished Stigma is a mark or sign of disgrace usually one of the reasons for the reluctance to from ‘normal people’ fell from 30% to eliciting negative attitudes to its bearer. If use the results of research in designing 20% (Department of Health, 2003). On attached to a person with a mental disorder and implementing action plans. Fifth, the other hand, views became significantly it can lead to negative discrimination. It is stigma theories have de-emphasised cul- less favourable over this decade for several sometimes but not always related to a lack tural factors and paid little attention to items: for example, the proportion believ- of knowledge about the condition that led issues related to human rights and social ing that residents have nothing to fear from to stigmatisation. There is now a volumi- structures. people coming into their neighbourhood to nous literature on stigma (Link & Phelan, Recently there have been early signs obtain mental health services decreased 2001; Corrigan, 2005), but this has largely of a developing focus upon discrimina- from 70% to 55%. An increase in knowl- been limited to attitude surveys rather than tion. This can be seen as the behavioural edge about mental illness thus does not studies establishing an evidence base of ef- consequences of stigma which act to the necessarily improve either attitudes or be- fective interventions (Sartorius & Schulze, disadvantage of people who are stigma- haviour towards people with mental illness. 2005). Stigma can therefore be seen as an tised (Sayce, 2000). The importance of overarching term that contains three ele- discriminatory behaviour has been clear ments: problems of knowledge (ignorance), for many years in terms of the personal PREJUDICE:PREJUDICE:THE THE PROBLEM OF problems of attitudes (prejudice), and pro- experiences of service users, in terms of NEGATIVE ATTITUDES blems of behaviour (discrimination). devastating effects upon personal relation- ships, parenting and childcare, education, Although the term ‘prejudice’ is used to re- SHORTCOMINGS training, work and housing (Thornicroft, fer to many social groups that experience OF WORK ON STIGMA 2006). Indeed, these voices have said that disadvantage, for example minority ethnic the rejecting behaviour of others may bring groups, it is employed rarely in relation to Five key features have limited the useful- greater disadvantage than the primary people with mental illness. The reactions ness of stigma theories. First, although condition itself. of a host majority to act with prejudice in 192 STIGMA AUTHOR’SAUTHOR’ S PROOFP ROOF rejecting a minority group usually involve GRAHAM THORNICROFT, PhD, DIANA ROSE, PhD, ALIYA KASSAM, MSc, NORMAN SARTORIUS, PhD, not just negative thoughts but also emotions Institute of Psychiatry,King’s College, London,UK such as anxiety, anger, resentment, hosti- lity, distaste or disgust. In fact, prejudice Correspondence:Correspondence:ProfessorProfessor GrahamThornicroft,HealthGrahamThornicroft,Health Service and Population Research Department, may more strongly predict discrimination Institute of Psychiatry,King’s College London,De CreCrespignyspigny Park,Park,London London SE5 8AF,UK.Tel: +44(0)207 than do stereotypes. 848 0735; fax: +44(0)207 2771462;277 1462; email: [email protected] Interestingly, there is almost nothing (First received 26 April 2006, final revision 15 September 2006, accepted 27 October 2006) published about emotional reactions to people with mental illness apart from that describing a fear of violence. One fascinat- ing exception to this is work carried out in south-eastern USA, in which students were or behavioural intentions) are congruent illness, and upon adding to our knowledge asked to imagine meeting people who either with actual behaviour, without assessing about interventions that society should did or did not have a diagnosis of schizo- such behaviour directly. Such research has undertake to reduce both stigmatisation phrenia. All three physiological measures generally focused on hypothetical rather and its consequences. of stress (brow muscle tension, palm skin than real situations, neglecting emotions conductance and heart rate) were raised and the social context, thus producing very REFERENCES during imaginary meetings with ‘labelled’ little guidance about interventions that Chamberlin, J. (2005) User/consumer involvement in compared with ‘non-labelled’ individuals. could reduce social rejection. In short, most work on stigma has been beside the point. mental health service delivery. Epidemiologia Psichiatria Such tension also associated with self- Sociale, 14,10^14. reported negative attitudes of stigma to- Corrigan, P. (2005) On the Stigma of Mental Illness. wards people with schizophrenia. The CONSEQUENCES American Psychological Association. authors concluded that one reason why FOR ACTION Crisp, A., Gelder, M. G., Goddard, E., et al (2005) individuals avoid people with mental illness Stigmatization of people with mental illnesses: a follow- is physiological arousal, which is experi- Experience and evidence gained so far indi- up study within the Changing Minds campaign of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.World Psychiatry, 4, enced as unpleasant feelings (Graves et al, cates that the time has come to shift the 106^113. 2005). focus of research and action from stigma Department of Health (2003) Attitudes to Mental to discrimination, Thus, instead of asking Illness 200320 03 Report.DepartmentofHealth. DISCRIMINATION: an employer whether he or she would hire Graves, R. E., Cassisi, J. E. & Penn, D. L. (2005) THE PROBLEM OF REJECTING a person with mental illness, we should as- Psychophysiological evaluation of stigma towards AND AVOIDANT BEHAVIOUR sess whether he or she actually does. This schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 76, 317^327. would allow an evaluation of our interven- Jorm, A. F., Christensen, H., & Griffiths, K. M. Attitude and social distance surveys usually tions by measuring whether and how they (2005) The impact of beyondblue: the national depression initiative on the Australian public’s ask either students or members of the gen-
Recommended publications
  • The Stigma of Mental Illness - End of the Story? Wolfgang Gaebel • Wulf Rössler Norman Sartorius Editors
    The Stigma of Mental Illness - End of the Story? Wolfgang Gaebel • Wulf Rössler Norman Sartorius Editors The Stigma of Mental Illness - End of the Story? Editors Wolfgang Gaebel Norman Sartorius Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Association for the Improvement of Mental Heinrich-Heine-University Health Programmes LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf Geneva Düsseldorf Switzerland Germany Wulf Rössler Psychiatric University Hospital University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland ISBN 978-3-319-27837-7 ISBN 978-3-319-27839-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-27839-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016938229 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made.
    [Show full text]
  • Zagreb, 7-10 July 2008
    Course on the Development of Leadership and Professional Skills For Young Psychiatrists Zagreb, 7-10 July 2008 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS CANTEMIR Dumitru Adrian, University Hospital of Psychiatry “Socola”, Str. Soseaua Bucium, nr. 36, 700282 Iaşi, Romania. E-mail: [email protected] CREPULJA Marina Letica, Ministry of Justice, Imprisonment System Administration, Prison of Rijeka, Croatia. E-mail: [email protected] DEMŠAR Silva, Specializing in psychiatry, Psychiatric Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia. E-mail: [email protected] DUMITRESCU Iolanda Maria, « Alexandru Obregia » Clinica Hospital, Bucharest, Romania. E-mail : [email protected] GLAVAN Daniela Gabriela, Assistant, Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova, Romania. E-mail: [email protected] HERTA Dana Cristina, Assistant, Department of Clinical Psychology and Mental Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy „Iuliu Hatieganu“, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E- mail: [email protected] HRANOV Georgi Lachezarov, Resident in the University Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment in Neurology and Psychiatry « St. Naum”, Sofia, Bulgaria E-mail: [email protected] JOVANOVIC Nikolina, Psychiatric trainee, Clinical Hospital Centre Rebro, Department of Psychiatry, Kišpatičeva 12, Zagreb, Croatia. E-mail: [email protected] MINODORA Manea Marinela, Assistant, Department of Clinical Psychology and Mental Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy „Iuliu Hatieganu“, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E-mail: [email protected] MUFIĆ, Ana Kovak, Resident in psychiatry, University Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital „Sestre Milosrdnice“, Vinogradska cesta 29, Zagreb, Croatia E-mail: [email protected] NASTASE Sorina Elena, Resident psychiatrist, „Alexancdru Obregia“ Psychiatry Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania. E-mail: [email protected] PETEK Anamarija, Junior doctor, University Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Osijek, Croatia.
    [Show full text]
  • Together Against Stigma” Conference Fact Sheet About the Conference
    The 7th International “Together Against Stigma” Conference Fact Sheet About the Conference • The 7th International Together Against Stigma Conference is one of the largest mental health gatherings in the world, and the only one solely focused on the topic of stigma. • The conference is a forum for people with lived experience, researchers, practitioners, advocates, members of the media and policymakers to discuss effective interventions to combat stigma and discrimination on an individual, community and societal level. • This is the first time the International Together Against Stigma Conference will be in the U.S. since it began in 2001. • It has previously been held in England, Germany, Japan, Turkey and twice in Canada. • The conference is being held at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco from February 18-20. • It is hosted collaboratively by the California Mental Health Services Authority, World Psychiatric Association, California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association. • More than 500 delegates from across the nation and at least a dozen countries are expected to attend the conference. About the Program • The three-day agenda is structured around the theme of “Each Mind Matters: Empowering Community Mental Health through Research, Practice, Policy and Advocacy.” • The program includes more than 30 different options for educational symposiums, workshops and oral presentations to share research, programs, best practices and personal stories. • Topics range from reducing social injustices to promoting cross-cultural collaboration to advocating for improved quality of services through research, policy, and practice. • In particular the conference will be discussing and hearing from diverse youth and young adults with the aim of empowering the next generation as partners in eradicating stigma, preventing mental illness and supporting mental health promotion.
    [Show full text]
  • PSYCHIATRY Problems, Resources, Responses
    UNMET NEED IN PSYCHIATRY Problems, resources, responses Edited by Gavin Andrews and Scott Henderson published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom cambridge university press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK www.cup.cam.ac.uk 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011–4211, USA www.cup.org 10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia Ruiz de Alarco´n 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain © Cambridge University Press 2000 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2000 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge Typeset in Minion 10/12pt [vn] A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Unmet need in psychiatry : problems, resources, responses / [edited by] Gavin Andrews and Scott Henderson. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0 521 66229 X hardback 1. Mental Health Services – Utilization Congresses. 2. Medical care – Needs Assessment Congresses. 3. Mental Illness – Epidemiology Congresses. I. Andrews, Gavin. II. Henderson, Scott, 1935– . [DNLM: 1. Community Mental Health Services Congresses. 2. Health Services Needs and Demand Congresses. 3. Mental Disorders – Therapy Congresses. WM 30 U603 2000] RA790.5.U565 2000 362.2–dc21 DNLM/DLC for Library of Congress 99–25835 CIP ISBN 0 521 66229 X hardback Every eVort has been made in preparing this book to provide accurate and up-to-date information which is in accord with accepted standards and practice at the time of publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Association Between Self-Restraint Behavior, Stigma and Depressive
    Article Association between Self-Restraint Behavior, Stigma and Depressive Tendency in Office Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan—Self-Restraint Behavior and Depression during the COVID-19 Ryoko Katsuki 1, Hiroaki Kubo 1, Itsuki Yamakawa 2,3, Naotaka Shinfuku 4, Norman Sartorius 5 , Shinji Sakamoto 3 and Takahiro A. Kato 1,* 1 Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan; [email protected] (R.K.); [email protected] (H.K.) 2 Department of Health and Human Services, Faculty of Medical and Welfare, Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University, Miyagi 981-8551, Japan; [email protected] 3 Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo 102-8275, Japan; [email protected] 4 School of Human Sciences, Seinan Gakuin University, Fukuoka 814-8511, Japan; [email protected] 5 Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programmes, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected]; Tel.: +81-92-642-5627 Citation: Katsuki, R.; Kubo, H.; Yamakawa, I.; Shinfuku, N.; Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to change their lifestyles, espe- Sartorius, N.; Sakamoto, S.; Kato, T.A. cially with respect to restrictions on going out. Forced quarantine (i.e., lockdown) and self-restraint Association between Self-Restraint Behavior, Stigma and Depressive behavior (SRB), including self-quarantine, are suggested to induce potential negative impacts on Tendency in Office Workers during public mental health. SRB seems to be related to governmental policies, each individual’s social the COVID-19 Pandemic in background and mental condition; however, no empirical studies have been conducted.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards Mental Health, Number 5
    MeTowardsn tal HealthHealth Se rvice and Queen’s Anniversary Prize Po pulation Resea rch at the In stitute Developing and evaluating of Psychiatry high-quality, topical teaching Number 5 | 20 10 Should you tell your boss about your mental health? Estia Centre marks 10 th anniversary Global effort to combat stigma Supporting victims of violence What do young carers want? Welcome to this issue of Towards Mental Health Graham Thornicroft is a Professor of Community Psychiatry and Head of the Health Service and Population Research Department. Welcome to the 2010 edition of Towards Mental l i Health . It tells you about some of the work of m a J the Health Service and Population Research n a h Department at the Institute of Psychiatry, e R King's College London. Our Department has recently been honoured to be awarded the 2010 Queen's Developing and evaluating Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. This distinction is an indicator high-quality, topical teaching of the quality, reach and impact of our work, and I would like to thank all members of our research teams and our many partners in the 84 countries with whom we collaborate A new MS c in Global Mental Health is to be launched jointly worldwide for their contributions to this success. by HSPR and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical If you wish to visit our Department, or study Medicine. The latest addition to the expanding portfolio with us, or discuss research or teaching links, please do contact us. Meanwhile, I trust that of teaching and training within HSPR follows the launch this issue of Towards Mental Health contains information that will be interesting and useful of the Centre for Global Mental Health in 2009 (see page for you.
    [Show full text]
  • Depressive Disorders, Second Edition
    VOLUME 1 Depressive Disorders Second Edition WPA Series Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry Depressive Disorders, Second Edition. Edited by Mario Maj and Norman Sartorius. 2002 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. ISBN: 0-470-84965-7 Other Titles in the WPA Series Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry Volume 2 — Schizophrenia, Second Edition Mario Maj and Norman Sartorius Volume 3 — Dementia, Second Edition Mario Maj and Norman Sartorius Volume 4 — Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Second Edition Mario Maj, Norman Sartorius, Ahmed Okasha and Joseph Zohar Volume 5 — Bipolar Disorder Mario Maj, Hagop S. Akiskal, Juan JoseL´ opez-Ibor´ and Norman Sartorius VOLUME 1 Depressive Disorders Second Edition Edited by Mario Maj University of Naples, Italy Norman Sartorius University of Geneva, Switzerland WPA Series Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8SQ, England Telephone (C44) 1243 779777 Email (for orders and customer service enquiries): [email protected] Visit our Home Page on www.wileyeurope.com or www.wiley.com All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP, UK, without the permission in writing of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8SQ, England, or emailed to [email protected], or faxed to (C44) 1243 770571.
    [Show full text]
  • Norman Sartorius, M.D., M.A., D.P.M., Ph.D., FRC
    CURRICULUM VITAE Norman Sartorius, M.D., M.A., D.P.M., Ph.D., FRC. Psych. Professor Norman Sartorius, 14 chemin Colladon, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland Fax: (41-22) 788 2334; Tel: (41-22) 788 2331 [email protected] Professor Sartorius obtained his M.D. in Zagreb (Croatia). He specialized in neurology and psychiatry and subsequently obtained a Masters Degree and a Doctorate in psychology (Ph.D.). He carried out clinical work and research and taught at graduate and postgraduate levels at the University of Zagreb, at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, at the University of Geneva and elsewhere. He joined the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1967 and soon assumed charge of the programme of epidemiology and in social psychiatry. He was the principal investigator of several major international studies on schizophrenia, on depression and on health service delivery. He was responsible for WHO’s work on the classification of mental and neurological disorders. The growth of the programme under his leadership lead to the elevation of the programme from a Unit to the Division of Mental Health of which he was the first director. He held this position until 1993 when he was elected President of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA). He served as the President of WPA until August 1999. Subsequently he became President of the Association of European Psychiatrists (EAP) a position held until December 2001. He is the President of the Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programmes and a member of the Geneva Prize Foundation having previously been its President. Professor Sartorius holds professorial appointments at the Universities of London, Prague and Zagreb and at several other universities in the USA and China.
    [Show full text]
  • Cross-National Variations in Reported Discrimination Among People
    The British Journal of Psychiatry (2015) 207, 507–514. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.156992 Cross-national variations in reported discrimination among people treated for major depression worldwide: the ASPEN/INDIGO international study Antonio Lasalvia, Tine Van Bortel, Chiara Bonetto, Geetha Jayaram, Jaap van Weeghel, Silvia Zoppei, Lee Knifton, Neil Quinn, Kristian Wahlbeck, Doriana Cristofalo, Mariangela Lanfredi, Norman Sartorius, Graham Thornicroft and the ASPEN/INDIGO Study Group Background Results No study has so far explored differences in discrimination People living in ‘very high HDI’ countries reported higher reported by people with major depressive disorder (MDD) discrimination than those in ‘medium/low HDI’ countries. across countries and cultures. Variation in reported discrimination across countries was only partially explained by individual-level variables. The Aims contribution of country-level variables was significant for To (a) compare reported discrimination across different anticipated discrimination only. countries, and (b) explore the relative weight of individual and contextual factors in explaining levels of reported Conclusions discrimination in people with MDD. Contextual factors play an important role in anticipated discrimination. Country-specific interventions should be Method implemented to prevent discrimination towards people with Cross-sectional multisite international survey (34 countries MDD. worldwide) of 1082 people with MDD. Experienced and anticipated discrimination were assessed by the Declaration of
    [Show full text]
  • Tuesday, 9 March 2021 Time in Time in ICT CET Hall A
    ALL TIMES ARE IN ICT (INDOCHINA TIME - GMT+7) Plenary / Presidential Sessions Special Sessions COVID-19 Session Special Lectures Original Sessions Invited Symposia Voting in session available Lectures in Thai Courses Panel Discussions Company Supported Sessions Interorganizational Symposia WPA TV Session Tuesday, 9 March 2021 Time in Time in ICT CET Hall A 14:30- 08:30- Course 01: Assessment personality disorder in young people 17:30 11:30 Andrew Chanen, Australia 18:30- 12:30- Course 02: Mindfulness based therapy and counseling (MBTC) developed from Thailand 21:30 15:30 Wongpiromsarn Yongyud, Thailand Wednesday, 10 March 2021 Time in Time in ICT CET Hall A Hall B Hall C Hall D Hall E Hall F Hall G Hall H 16:00- 10:00- **By invitation only** 16:30 10:30 Meet the Fellowship Awardees Afzal Javed - WPA President Helen Herrman - WPA Past President Norman Sartorius - WCP 2020 Scientific Chairperson Mariana Pinto da Costa - WCP 2020 ECP Chairperson 17:30- 11:30- Opening Ceremony and 18:15 12:15 Plenary Session 01 (Presidents' Reports) Master of ceremonies - calling the meeting to order Andrea Pound, Australia Thai Psychiatric Society Address Charnsil Chawanun, Thailand Address from Helen Herrman, Australia WPA Past President Address from Afzal Javed, UK WPA President Introduction to the program Norman Sartorius, Switzerland Declaring the congress open Afzal Javed, UK 18:15- 12:15- BREAK 18:45 12:45 18:45- 12:45- Plenary Session 02: 20:15 14:15 Global health and global mental health: a dream too far? Chairs: Helen Herrman, Australia; Suwana Arunpongpaisal,
    [Show full text]
  • The Global Fight Against the Stigma of Schizophrenia We Must Dispel the Myths and Misunderstandings Surrounding This Illness Nadia Kadri, Norman Sartorius*
    Open access, freely available online Health in Action The Global Fight against the Stigma of Schizophrenia We must dispel the myths and misunderstandings surrounding this illness Nadia Kadri, Norman Sartorius* he stigma attached to mental illness is the greatest obstacle Tto the improvement of the lives of people with mental illness and their families [1]. Such stigma results in (1) a lower priority for mental health services, (2) diffi culty getting staff of good quality to work in these services, (3) continuing problems in fi nding employment and housing for people who have had an episode of mental disorder, (4) the social isolation of people who suffer from mental illness and their families, and (5) poorer quality of care for physical illnesses occurring in people diagnosed as having had psychiatric illnesses [1]. These effects of stigma are true for all mental disorders, and in particular, for schizophrenia. The history of the stigmatisation of mental illness is long, but it is probable DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020136.g001 that intolerance to mental abnormality (and the rejection of people who Figure 1. The Logo of Open the Doors, in Nine Different Languages had it) has become stronger in the past two centuries because of urbanisation and the growing its consequences have been started in as governments, community agents, demands for skills and qualifi cations recent years. Among those well known and health services at all stages of in almost all sectors of employment. are campaigns undertaken in Australia, This, however, is only part of the the United Kingdom, and Sweden—for story: mental illness is also linked to example, “Changing Minds,” an anti- Citation: Kadri N, Sartorius N (2005) The global fi ght stigma campaign, was launched in against the stigma of schizophrenia.
    [Show full text]
  • Short-Lived Campaigns Are Not Enough
    COMMENT SCHIZOPHRENIA A call for more EDITIONS How the diagnostic BOOKS Tracy OBITUARY John Huchra, and better research into manual for psychiatry has Chevalier on energetic astronomer who non-drug therapy p.165 evolved p.168 judging p.172 mapped the Universe p.174 .J. BURTON BURTON .J. Short-lived campaigns are not enough The stigma of mental illness will be reduced only if region-specific awareness initiatives become a permanent fixture of health and social services, argues Norman Sartorius. hile running the World Health illnesses are incapable of holding down jobs to find housing, partners, jobs and friends, Organization’s mental-health or maintaining relationships and, at worst, this negative perception contributes to inad- programme from 1967 to 1993, are dangerous, irrational and incurable. equate medical treatment. In a recent survey WI realized that the biggest barrier to progress We know this from a wealth of anecdotal of people with schizophrenia, for example, was the negative attitude held by the public evidence and questionnaires conducted 73% of more than 700 participants reported and decision-makers towards the mentally by mental-health experts1,2. This is despite the need to conceal their diagnosis4. If ill. On being elected president of the World studies showing that people suffering from people miss out on treatment because they are Psychiatric Association in 1993, I there- depression, schizophrenia and other mental frightened about how friends and family will fore decided to make reducing the stigma diseases perform well in jobs and in other behave towards them when their diagnosis of mental illness the focus of a major pro- social contexts, and are no more violent than becomes known, the illness is likely to worsen.
    [Show full text]