See Me Scotland: Research, Learning and Evaluation

See Me is Scotland’s national programme to tackle and eliminate mental health stigma and discrimination in Scotland, partnered with Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH).

Quick fact: 56 per cent of people with a mental health condition in Scotland have experienced stigma and discrimination.

What is See Me?

Leading anti-stigma work in Scotland since 2002, See Me started as a campaign to challenge attitudes around mental illness. It has adapted over time to become a multi-layered programme with a focus on system, culture and behaviour change at individual, community and socio-cultural levels. The programme is funded by the Scottish Government and jointly managed by the Mental Health Foundation in Scotland and SAMH.

See Me works across different settings with partners, communities and target population groups to empower and equip people to take action to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination. The programme is guided by lived experience and underpinned by a growing social movement for change made up of people from all across Scotland who are passionate about ending mental health stigma and discrimination.

What do we do?

The Mental Health Foundation provides the research, learning and evaluation functions for See Me. Through evidence reviews, evaluation, primary research, dissemination of learning and knowledge exchange, a dedicated team of researchers within the Foundation works to understand what works to tackle and eliminate stigma and discrimination in Scotland and to demonstrate that the programme is meeting its intended outcomes. The Research, Learning and Evaluation team works closely with See Me to develop and test approaches designed to reduce stigma and discrimination and to understand their impact.

Together, See Me and the Mental Health Foundation are working towards achievement of the Scottish Government’s commitment to create – Scotland where people can get the right help at the right time, expect recovery, and fully enjoy their rights, free from stigma and discrimination.

We are proud of our long-running partnership with See Me and of progressing the learning of such an important and impactful programme. We have a team of highly skilled researchers who are dedicated to supporting See Me to achieve its mission of a fairer Scotland. We believe that tackling stigma and discrimination is crucial to mental health improvement and to creating a more inclusive society. Through our work with See Me we hope to enable people who experience mental health problems to live full and rewarding lives.

Jo Finlay - Senior Research Manager

For more information, please contact: Jo Finlay (Senior Research Manager) on [email protected].