News

Hear My Voice: the experience of discrimination of people with mental health problems in Ireland

26 January 2010

Throughout the world people with mental health problems have consistently experienced pervasive discrimination and stigma. This is no less so in Ireland with the Mental Health Policy Document A Vision for Change in 2006 identified the need to address discrimination and stigma as part of the overall approach to mental health problems by people and care providers.

Despite the knowledge that discrimination and stigma can hinder recovery and perpetuate social exclusion, the problem still persists in Ireland and consequently people continue to be disenfranchised. There are national campaigns trying to address this, for example the Seechange campaign (seechange.ie/) that is trying to address stigma in society against people with mental health problems; and Amnesty Ireland’s mental health campaign, which includes tackling discrimination against peoples human rights (www.amnesty.ie/theresearch).

The School of Nursing at DCU have played an ongoing role in trying to address deficiencies in how professionals and services respond to people with mental health problems, through our research and professional development initiatives. This national Participatory Action Research study ‘Hear My Voice: the experience of discrimination of people with mental health problems in Ireland’ has enabled the voices of people with mental health problems who experienced discrimination because of their problems to be heard and reported. Discrimination has been operationalised as ‘being treated unfairly’ or ‘treated positively’ commensurable with other international studies investigating discrimination.

The results were stark and provide an indication that felt discrimination and stigma prevails in our society, in communities, in families and in health service providers. The summary of key findings below provides some idea as to the extent of discrimination reported by over three hundred participants around Ireland.

Summary of Key Findings

• Nearly everyone who participated in the study reported some level of unfair treatment (95%) as a result of their mental health problems
• The five highest incidences of reported unfair treatment related to ‘making or keeping friends’ (64%); having been treated unfairly by family (61%); being avoided or shunned by people who knew participants had a mental health problem (63%); being treated unfairly by mental health staff (58%) and being treated unfairly in your role as a parent (46%)
• Participants reported being treated unfairly in relation to finding a job (36%) and keeping a job (43%).
• Being hospitalised and prescribed medication was directly associated with increased reports of unfair treatment across most of the 21 items of unfair treatment
• The majority of participants (86%) reported experiencing distress due to their perception of being discriminated against because of their mental health problems, with more than half of those reporting ‘a lot of distress’
• More than 70% of participants stopped themselves from doing things because of self stigma or anticipated discrimination, concealing their mental health problems from others; with 3 in 5 stopping themselves from working; more than half stopped themselves from having a close relationship; with 40% sopping themselves from engaging in education
• There were significant associations between reduced self esteem and reported discrimination. For example, in relation to making or keeping friends; and in relation to self stigma. Conversely, where people had good coping mechanisms/skills in overcoming stigma and discrimination the significant association was of increased self esteem.
• Participants also provided reports of more positive treatment due to their mental health problems, particularly by their family and in health care
• The majority of participants (91%) reported that they have used their own coping skills to overcome stigma. For further information contact: Dr Liam Mac Gabhann, School of Nursing, Dublin City University Email: liam.macgabhann@dcu.ie or Te: 00 353 (1) 700 8805