One in four adults will experience mental health difficulties. Over 450 million people globally experience mental disorder each year. Despite the commonly repeated mantra of ‘No health without mental health,’ people with mental health difficulties continue to face challenges in obtaining the help that they require.
Stigma and discrimination are significant barriers to obtaining good mental health care and to accessing the everyday social activities that keep each of us mentally well. Stigma interferes with people’s full participation in society and deprives them of their dignity.
People with mental health difficulties, their families, carers, governments, NGO’s (non-governmental organisations), professionals of all kinds and the associations that represent them would like all encounters to result in a positive dignity experience. To make dignity in mental health a reality requires every member of society to work together and make mental health visible, not something to be ashamed of. This is what the Dignity Project is all about.
writer, researcher, editor 