News Release, 25 April 2000
A new report by the Mental Health Foundation shows that people with mental health problems have experienced discrimination at the hand of those to whom they naturally turn for support - family and friends, and health professionals.
Pull Yourself Together, published on Tuesday 25 April 2000 by the Mental Health Foundation to mark Mental Health Action Week, shows that 70% of people with experience of mental health problems had experienced discrimination in response to their own, or a friend or relative's mental distress.
Alarmingly 44% of people with experience of mental health problems reported discrimination from GPs - who should be the first point of call for anybody experiencing mental health problems, and the gateway to services. "I have been told everything from "snap out of it" to "I can only help if you're suicidal."
Perhaps as a result of this, just under a fifth of people (18%) felt that they could not tell their GP about their mental health problems. A number of people also reported that GPs had attributed physical health problems to symptoms of mental illness. "Everything, including physical problems (are) attributed to mental health problems."
Of those who had experienced discrimination in response to their own mental health problems, 56% reported discrimination within the family and 51% from friends. Many respondents received unhelpful or damaging advice from relatives such as " pull yourself together", were thought to be acting, or were even considered stupid or unreliable, losing status within the family simply because of their mental health problems.
Mental health also had a major impact upon other activities such as employment, with three quarters of respondents indicating that they could not disclose details of their mental health problems on application forms (whether for jobs or other areas such as insurance) and 55% were unable to inform work colleagues.
"The report highlights the stigma and discrimination faced everyday by people with experience of mental health problems," said Ruth Lesirge, director, Mental Health Foundation. "It also raises major questions, because we know the importance of receiving support not only from friends and family but also from your GP. It is the doctor who can ensure that you receive appropriate services and treatment. If people are experiencing discrimination or are being told to 'Pull yourself together', then their chances of accessing good support are diminished. With one in four of the UK population experiencing mental health problems in any one year, we have to change our attitudes and build on the good services and support that are available."
Pull Yourself Together is based on the responses of 556 people to a postal survey from the Mental Health Foundation covering their own experiences of discrimination, whom they felt they could or could not tell about their mental distress and ways in which they believed the situation could be changed.
Recommendations from the report include:
- All GPs should have on-going training to develop their understanding of mental health problems and their impact on people's lives. GPs should be trained to enable them to assist people to find and develop their own strategies for coping with mental distress and to locate alternative sources of help.
- The new Disability Rights Commission should give priority to addressing discrimination in relation to people with mental health problems.
- The media should recognise their social responsibility to portray positive real life stories and encourage inclusion rather than exclusion.
- The Government and all agencies which promote mental health should join together to deliver a comprehensive anti-discrimination campaign. This should include schools and the workplace and should involve service users talking about their experiences.
Return to news releases 2000
For further information and interview requests contact please contact the press office on 020 7803 1105 / 1128 or email the press office
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