Stigma > Stigma and Discrimination

The stigma associated with mental health difficulties or illness is an enduring concern within child and youth mental health in Ontario and beyond. Stigma can be defined as labeling or discriminating against an individual or group of individuals on the basis of observed or presumed mental health difficulties. Working to prevent and eliminate stigma means challenging misconceptions and changing perspectives and behaviours. The Centre has made it a priority to tackle stigma and discrimination through many of its activities and programs.

Contributing to the Evidence

The Centre has completed a systematic review of the evidence relating to school-based programs intended to prevent or eliminate the stigma associated with mental health difficulties. The review revealed that, while a variety of programs have been implemented within school communities across the globe, their effectiveness in reducing stigma remains unclear. Many have never been evaluated empirically while others have been evaluated with different levels of rigour. There are a number of research gaps that must be filled before any specific interventions can be endorsed for widespread use. Among its recommendations, the report emphasizes the need for sound, consistent and ongoing evaluation of all programs and interventions.

Publication of the systematic review is pending. The report and a full account of the research results will be available here upon its release.

Promoting Collaboration

Results from the systematic review suggested an immediate need for researchers to adopt a consistent approach to developing, implementing and evaluating school-based programs. The Centre responded by hosting an international workshop called Transcending the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health Difficulties: An International Research Collaboration to Empower Children and Youth. This collaborative effort gathered researchers, educators, advocates, youth, service providers and policy makers to discuss the global challenge of mental health discrimination and identify strategies to narrow the research gaps.

The international collaboration agreed that direct contact with those suffering mental health problems is a powerful component of any school-based stigma intervention. A focus on empathy and social inclusion may be most appropriate when attempting to change both attitudes and behaviours. This may be most appropriate for younger children.

To read more about the findings of the workshop download a copy of the final report

International Workshop Final Report

In order to properly inform discussions at the workshop, the Centre partnered with YouthNet to host a youth forum. Participants provided their unique perspectives on how to effectively reduce stigma and discrimination. For more information and to read about the experiences of youth check out the full report.

Youth Focus Group Final Report
Youth Focus Group - Thoughts and stories shared by the youth

Building a Movement

The Centre also supports external stigma research and collaborative projects through a variety of our grants and awards:

• A research grant was awarded to Linda O’Mara and Daina Mueller of McMaster University and the City of Hamilton for an investigation of a school-based stigma program. The group hopes to address whether stigma decreases for youth after participation in the program.
   
• Two agencies in the North York region were some of the first recipients of funding under the Centre’s Community Mobilization Awards pilot project. Jacquie Brown at Kinark Child and Family Services and Naushad Hirji at Social Services Network have teamed up to lead their community in addressing discrimination and access to child and youth mental health services within its South Asian population.

For information about these and other projects funded by the Centre, visit our online Grants and Awards Index

If you are interested in conducting stigma-related research directly relevant to child and youth mental health, consider applying for one of the Centre’s Grants and Awards.

Fighting stigma through youth engagement

Children and youth experience stigma and discrimination first hand. Their experiences and insights can provide us with a better understanding of the issues, which helps us develop meaningful solutions together. Check out some of our youth engagement projects:

• Dare to Dream program – With funding from the Centre, youth from across Ontario have taken the opportunity to raise their collective voice and generate awareness about mental health in their communities. Visit the Dare to Dream website to learn more about this innovative awards program.
   
• The New Mentality – Groups of youth from across the province are connecting with adult allies – and each other – to create a dynamic and sustainable network that will raise awareness of child and youth mental health issues and reduce the stigma associated with them. New Mentality is a joint initiative supported by the Centre and Children’s Mental Health Ontario. For information on this partnership or the pilot project visit (insert CMHO). Last year, The New Mentality released READY…SET…ENGAGE!, a comprehensive guide to effective and meaningful youth engagement strategies for organizations and professionals.
  Download READY…SET…ENGAGE!
   
• Project Postcard – Many children and youth find it easier to express their feelings through art than words. Project Postcard is an art-based pilot project that sparked conversations about mental health in classrooms across Ottawa and provided students with an opportunity to express their unique perspectives through paintings. The pictures have been reproduced as a series of colourful postcards which are now available for distribution. To help spread the word about the importance of mental health among children and youth, order postcards by sending a request to onthepoint@cheo.on.ca.

Resources

Coming Soon: Mental Health Awareness Curriculum for the Classroom and Beyond.

Check out Selected websites to read more about stigma from the perspectives of youth, leading researchers and others.