Young people with mental health problems say stigma has led them to 'give up'
Lauren Higgs
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
A quarter of young people with mental health problems say the stigma attached to their illness has made them want to "give up on life", according to a survey by the Time to Change campaign.
The research, which questioned more than 1,000 young people, also found that 27 per cent of under-25-year-olds with mental health problems say that the discrimination they experience has led them to give up on some of their life’s ambitions.
According to the young respondents, much of the stigma they face comes from close family and friends, with 70 per cent saying they have suffered discrimination from friends, 57 per cent from parents and 35 per cent from siblings.
The survey was commissioned by Time to Change to coincide with the launch of a pilot project in the West Midlands, aimed at encouraging young people to tackle the taboo surrounding mental health problems.
The pilot will include a social marketing campaign; an education programme co-delivered by young people with a mental illness and their parents; community events in the region and a grants fund for projects that bring young people with and without mental health problems together.
Bryony Bratchell, a 19-year-old from Weymouth, said the stigma she experienced because of her mental health problem has affected her friendships and relationships in education and at work.
“When I was first diagnosed at 14, I was automatically told by healthcare professionals to stop going to school because it was too stressful,” she said.
“At the same time my school also refused to allow me to return there once they knew I had a mental health problem.
“Then once I left I heard nasty rumours that people were spreading about me and even comments to my friends about stopping hanging out with me in case I might kill them. This has made it so hard to keep friends and make new ones.”
Sue Baker, director of Time to Change, which is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, said: “This is a national tragedy. With one in ten children experiencing mental health problems, the impact of stigma is robbing too many of their hopes for the future.
"They are left too afraid to turn to their families, friends and teachers, or to get support. However we know, from our existing campaign, that by working together we can improve attitudes. With young people as the driving force behind our new campaign, we will be able to bring these issues out from the dark ages.”
