How stigma affects the lives of those with mental health problems
Every year, one in four of us will seek treatment for a mental health problem. Yet mental illness remains a source of shame and isolation for a great many people. Fear of stigma can discourage people from seeking help when they most need it, and can make it difficult to re-engage with work and the community following an illness. Joining Jane to discuss these issues are: the comedian Ruby Wax, who recently qualified as a psychotherapist and is heading up the BBC Headroom campaign which aims to get more people talking about mental illness; Clare Allan, a writer who based her acclaimed first novel ‘Poppy Shakespeare’ on her own experiences of psychiatric services; and Gillian Mezey, a psychiatrist at South West London and St. George's NHS Trust who is currently investigating how to increase social inclusion for the mentally ill.
