The National Stigma Report Card presents the findings from Our Turn to Speak, the most comprehensive survey of its kind in Australia. The findings strongly reinforce the importance of continuing to work collaboratively to build an Australia free from stigma and discrimination. SANE Australia and our partners will use the National Stigma Report Card to drive meaningful, systemic change that sees people affected by complex mental health issues being supported and included as equal members of our community. Recommendations by life domain Image Relationships Relationships play an important role in all our lives. Connection with others – whether they be family members, friends or romantic partners – can improve wellbeing and provide support during challenging times. Read more Image Employment Having something meaningful to do is vital for mental health. Being employed can contribute to our sense of purpose and accomplishment. Read more Image Healthcare services Access to healthcare is critical to supporting physical and mental health and wellbeing. Mental health issues often occur in the context of physical problems. Read more Image Social media Social media has become an almost ubiquitous part of our lives, helping us to connect with others and the world around us. Read more See all Life Domains Top 10 data points 1 95.6% of participants said they had experienced some level of stigma or discrimination in their relationships in the previous year, with 69.1% reporting that this had significantly impacted their lives. Issues included relationships with friends, family, intimate partners or in their role as parents or caregivers. Read more 2 78.1% of participants said they had experienced some level of stigma or discrimination in relation to employment in the previous year. 43.0% reported employment as one of three areas of life in which they had been most affected by stigma and discrimination. Issues included a range of experiences, from applications and interviews to treatment on the job. Read more 3 83.9% of participants said they had experienced stigma or discrimination when accessing physical healthcare services in the previous year, with 26.3% reporting that this had significantly impacted their lives. For many, these negative experiences stopped them seeking help for physical health problems. Read more 4 84.6% of participants said they had experienced stigma or discrimination in their engagement with social media in the previous year, with 25.3% reporting that this had significantly impacted their lives. Many people said they had seen, read or heard social media content that portrayed people living with mental health issues as dangerous or unpredictable, being to blame for their own issues, or being unable to recover. Read more Load more top 10 data points Visit the data dashboard to explore all the data Image Real people, real stories The National Stigma Report Card is not just about numbers. Stigma and discrimination have a very real impact on the lives of people living with complex mental health issues. The voices of people with lived experience must not only be heard, but also be the cornerstone of policy decisions and system redesign, to ensure change is effective and sustainable. Read real people’s stories Image Explore the data Our online data explorer is an interactive tool which allows you to explore the Our Turn to Speak findings further. You can compare survey results from different life domains, mental health issues, and demographics. Visit the data explorer
Image Relationships Relationships play an important role in all our lives. Connection with others – whether they be family members, friends or romantic partners – can improve wellbeing and provide support during challenging times. Read more
Image Employment Having something meaningful to do is vital for mental health. Being employed can contribute to our sense of purpose and accomplishment. Read more
Image Healthcare services Access to healthcare is critical to supporting physical and mental health and wellbeing. Mental health issues often occur in the context of physical problems. Read more
Image Social media Social media has become an almost ubiquitous part of our lives, helping us to connect with others and the world around us. Read more
1 95.6% of participants said they had experienced some level of stigma or discrimination in their relationships in the previous year, with 69.1% reporting that this had significantly impacted their lives. Issues included relationships with friends, family, intimate partners or in their role as parents or caregivers. Read more
2 78.1% of participants said they had experienced some level of stigma or discrimination in relation to employment in the previous year. 43.0% reported employment as one of three areas of life in which they had been most affected by stigma and discrimination. Issues included a range of experiences, from applications and interviews to treatment on the job. Read more
3 83.9% of participants said they had experienced stigma or discrimination when accessing physical healthcare services in the previous year, with 26.3% reporting that this had significantly impacted their lives. For many, these negative experiences stopped them seeking help for physical health problems. Read more
4 84.6% of participants said they had experienced stigma or discrimination in their engagement with social media in the previous year, with 25.3% reporting that this had significantly impacted their lives. Many people said they had seen, read or heard social media content that portrayed people living with mental health issues as dangerous or unpredictable, being to blame for their own issues, or being unable to recover. Read more
