THE discrimination faced by young people with mental health problems frequently comes from those closest to them.
A shock new survey found under-25s faced negative attitudes towards their illness from the very people they should be turning to for help.Of those questioned by Time to Change – the anti-stigma health programme – 70% said friends made them feel stigmatised, while 57% said parents did, and 35% felt siblings showed a lack of understanding.
Director of Time to Change, Sue Baker, said: “This is a national tragedy. 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.”
Time to Change has now launched a pilot project in the West Midlands.Activities planned for the West Midlands 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, a grants fund for projects that bring young people with and without mental health problems together, and engagement with organisations in the region that work with a youth audience. www.time-to-change.org.uk
