Mental health Scotland: Thousands of Scots avoiding treatment due to 'stigma and discrimination'

Thousands of Scots are avoiding mental health treatment due to stigma, research shows

Stigma and discrimination has led to thousands of Scots not seeking help for mental health conditions, according to new research, with many fearing they will be viewed as “dangerous and unpredictable” by their peers.

See Me, a Scottish Government-funded programme run by the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), is calling for Scots to change their “outdated stereotypes and preconceptions” surrounding mental illness and to seek help.

The programme wants members of the public to rethink their words and actions when it comes to mental illness, and show more compassion towards those who struggle. Research has found 92 per cent of people with severe, complex and enduring mental illness believe that members of the public view them as unpredictable.

Poet Angela McCrimmon, 46, from Livingston in West Lothian, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 19.

Almost four in five (78 per cent) think they are viewed as dangerous, and 87 per cent said they believe the public see them as being to blame for their problems.

The Scottish Mental Illness Study, from See Me and the Mental Health Foundation, was carried out in collaboration with Vox Scotland and Glasgow Caledonian University.

See Me director Wendy Halliday said: “A lot of public stigma stems from outdated stereotypes and preconceptions relating to mental illness. In reality, people with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators, and many are able to live full, independent lives with the right support and understanding.

“The actions of others, including the language used around mental health and mental illness, continue to prevent thousands of Scots from reaching out and seeking help when they need it, and we know that has to change.”

Research has found that 92 per cent of people with severe, complex and enduring mental illness believe that members of the public view them as unpredictable.

To be eligible for the study, which received almost 350 responses, those taking part had to have a mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar or related disorder, obsessive-compulsive or a related disorder, or a feeding or eating disorder.

Those affected by stigma include poet Angela McCrimmon, 46, from Livingston in West Lothian, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 19. She said people’s attitudes held her back from opening up about her mental health.

The See Me volunteer said: “I know that with mental illness, you can’t help it, you can do your best to manage it as best you can. So I shouldn’t feel like I can’t be honest with other people – but there are still times where I’m unsure of what their reaction will be, because of the stigma that’s still out there.

“The way people speak about mental health still is frustrating. Something I’ve been witness to is people who know I’m somebody who lives with a mental illness speaking about other people very derogatively – their ‘mad’ neighbour up the road, for instance. ‘Don’t got into their house, you might not come out alive,’ – things like that.

“I had a neighbour who wasn’t known by his name any more – he was ‘the schizo’, which was awful. When I hear people speaking like that, I’ve had to hold back, because I think, if you have that opinion, what’s to stop you talking like that about me? It makes me quite guarded.”

Ms McCrimmon added: “It would make a huge difference if we could get to a stage where there’s no difference between your mental health and your physical health.”

Earlier this year, a YouGov poll of more than 1,063 adults in Scotland, commissioned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP), revealed 52 per cent were concerned about the impact the cost-of-living crisis was having on their mental health. Eight in ten said demand for mental health services would increase in the future.

The survey also showed the issues that people are most concerned about impacting on their mental health, with 85 per cent citing rising energy costs, 79 per cent rising food costs and 31 per cent citing increasing debt.

Meanwhile, 27 per cent of Scots said they had experienced a new episode of poor mental health over the past year.

Dr Jane Morris, vice-chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said: “These are deeply worrying statistics and encapsulate the feelings of Scottish people about how the current cost-of-living crisis is affecting everyone’s mental health.

“From relationship breakdowns to worries about crippling debt and wondering how you’ll pay for the next energy bill or feed your children, these situations are tough and can have an enormous effect on anybody’s mental health.

“There is already plenty of evidence that financial stress is associated with worse physical and mental health. The opposite is also true – poor health is likely to lead to impaired financial management.

“We cannot provide medical solutions to society’s economic problems, but we do need to support people with mental disorders to cope with the extra challenges.”

Last month, the Scottish Government published its mental health and wellbeing strategy, which promises to improve the quality of life for people with mental health conditions, “free from stigma and discrimination”.

To achieve this, the strategy calls for a community-minded approach to mental health.

“The promotion of mental health and wellbeing starts with all of us as individuals, families and communities,” the report reads.

“Promotion should ensure we understand it and what we can do to look after our own mental health and wellbeing and that of others in our communities.”

The strategy adds that employers have a huge role to play in reducing stigma. “We know that employers can play a key role in tackling mental health stigma by creating workplace cultures where open and honest discussion about mental health and wellbeing is supported and where discriminatory behaviour is challenged,” the document said.

“We want to ensure that employers have the support they need to promote and support the conditions that enable individuals to experience good mental health at work.”