Reducing the stigma of mental illness
Open accessAbstract
This paper presents a narrative review of anti-stigma programming using examples from different countries to understand and describe current best practices in the field. Results highlight the importance of targeting the behavioural outcomes of the stigmatization process (discrimination and social inequity), which is consistent with rights-based or social justice models that emphasize social and economic equity for people with disabilities (such as equitable access to services, education, work, etc.). They also call into question large public education approaches in favour of more targeted contact-based interventions. Finally, to add to the research base on best practices, anti-stigma programs are encouraged to create alliances with university researchers in order to critically evaluate their activities and build better, evidence informed practices.
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Two other systematic reviews concluded that the outcomes of protest campaigns in reducing stigma are unknown.
“Two other systematic reviews concluded that the outcomes of protest campaigns in reducing stigma are unknown.199,209”
From The Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health (2022) · cites this paper as [209]
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- Authors
- Stuart, H.
- Affiliations
- Queen's University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Stuart, H.
- ORCID
- Stuart, H.
- Venue
- Global Mental Health
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2016
- Volume
- 3
- Pages
- e17-e17
- ISSN
- 2054-4251 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5314742
- OpenAlex
- W2466267714
- Cited by
- 300
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 2.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Cambridge Prisms Global Mental Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Mental Health Commission
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Obesity and Health Practices
- Keywords
- mental health stigma, stigma reduction interventions, discrimination, social inequities, rights-based approach, social justice, people with disabilities, contact-based interventions, public education campaigns, evidence-informed practice, best practices
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