Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Technical Group for bringing forward this motion because the more we talk about it and the more normal we make it as a condition the more acceptable it will be for ordinary people outside this House to talk about it and accept it.

On that basis I want to talk about stigma. While one could discuss many topics related to mental health, stigma is particularly important because it lies at the root of the problem. The word "stigma" in this context refers to the use of negative labels to identify people. The stigma around mental health problems has its roots in fear and misunderstanding. Many people hold negative opinions of people with mental health problems because they rely on myths, misconceptions and stories they were told when they were younger. When I was child I often heard it said that my nanny, God rest her, was suffering with her nerves. Years later when I thought about what my nanny went through, it became obvious that her problems were widely ignored and the solution was to label them as suffering with her nerves.

I read a recent study entitled, Public Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems, which showed that stigma was one of the most persistent barriers to understanding mental health problems and the importance of mental health. I was curious about the medical meaning of the word "stigma" and when I looked it up I found it defined as "a cluster of negative attitudes and beliefs that motivate the general public to fear, reject, avoid, and discriminate against people with mental illnesses". Stigma leads to low self-esteem, isolation and hopelessness and deters sufferers from seeking care and in some cases from even wanting it because their sense of hopelessness is so great. It results in people with mental health problems internalising public attitudes and become so embarrassed or ashamed that they will often conceal their symptoms and fail to seek treatment.

Three core issues arose from the study on social stigma, the first of which is a lack of knowledge and ignorance. People in general have little understanding of mental health problems and much of the information they have is factually incorrect. I adhere to the view that a picture paints a thousand words. There is no substitution for real people telling real stories. Messages with a Government or departmental spin are largely ignored whereas real people, even relatively famous people, with real stories have a much greater impact. I refer to the recent case of Carol Hunt, a well-known journalist, whose open and honest comments on the issue resonated with me and many of friends.

The second core issue to emerge from the study was negative attitudes or prejudice. Anxiety, fear and a desire to avoid people with mental health problems are common feelings. People do not want to sit down and discuss their innermost feelings, the fuzzy things they wish to avoid. People with mental health difficulties expect a certain reaction from people. It is human nature, therefore, that they will prefer to conceal the difficulties they are experiencing rather than face rejection or hostile behaviour from their peers.

The final core point to emerge from the study was discrimination. People with mental health difficulties must enjoy the same basic rights as everyone else, on an equal basis and without discrimination. Treating people with mental health problems differently can result in social exclusion and the denial of rights in areas such as housing, employment and education. It, therefore, creates disadvantage. Only Government policy and action can change minds and perceptions.

The See Change programme is Ireland's national partnership to reduce stigma and challenge the discrimination associated with mental health problems. Started by the previous Government in 2010, See Change continues to be Government policy and we will work with the 35 organisations in the See Change alliance which have banded together to promote responsible marketing of the programme's message. The alliance works together to bring about positive change in public attitudes and behaviour towards people with mental health problems.

For some people, the stigma and discrimination associated with a significant mental health problem is almost as difficult to manage as the experience of being unwell. It is vital that we provide an effective stigma reduction programme, one which incorporates all agencies and types of media and has the potential to bring about real change in the attitudes of normal people towards mental health problems. While tackling the stigma associated with mental health problems will not be achieved overnight, the positive support of the See Change programme will and must effect change in society. We must provide a real and positive transformation in how mental health problems are perceived.

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