See Me Event - Understanding mental illness stigma

The issue of stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness remains a global challenge. This seminar will share learning from a coordinated international research project formed to understand more about the experiences of people living with complex mental illness and draw out study participant’s views on what is needed to challenge the stigma and discrimination people continue to experience.

Organised by See Me and jointly hosted by Strathclyde Centre for Health Policy & HASS Counselling Unit, this seminar, chaired by Wendy Halliday, Director of See Me, will share learning from the international partnership between Scotland and Australia and feature inputs from the researchers involved.

• Dr Chris Groot is a Senior Lecturer in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne. His work spans research, teaching, and public engagement programs that focus on stigma about severe and complex experiences of mental ill-health. Chris was a key member of the team that created Australia’s National Stigma Report Card https://nationalstigmareportcard.com.au/project and delivered the ‘Our Turn to Speak’ study https://www.ourturntospeak.com.au/national-stigma-report-card/the-report.

• Professor Simon Hunter is Professor of Applied Psychology at the Department of Psychology, Glasgow Caledonian University. Simon is also an Associate Editor at Stigma and Health and played a key role in taking forward the Scottish Mental Illness Stigma Study https://www.seemescotland.org/stigma-discrimination/stigmastudy

• Dr Bridey Rudd is the Senior Research Officer at the Mental Health Foundation and learning and evaluation partner to See Me. Bridey was part of the team co-ordinating the Scottish Mental Illness Stigma Study (SMISS) and currently represents Scotland in the international stigma research partnership.

The seminar will provide an overview of the national studies conducted in Australia and Scotland between 2019 and 2022. Both studies were designed to advance our understanding of the ways in which people who experience complex mental illness are affected by stigma and discrimination in the context of their lives and to compare and contrast findings across both countries. Beyond the methods and findings of these studies, the presenters will describe lessons learned through the international team’s collaborative effort, and will draw out barriers and challenges, and factors leading to successful partnership. Presenters will also update on what has been taken forward in Scotland since the launch of the SMISS report in August 2022.

Seminar participants will be invited to reflect of the findings and consider what more needs to be done to address the issues and challenges identified.