The report

People living with complex mental health issues experience high rates of stigma and discrimination in many important areas of their life.

Between 25% and 70% of all 1,912 participants of the Our Turn to Speak survey said their experiences of stigma and discrimination in the previous 12 months had affected them the most in terms of relationships, employment, healthcare services, and social media.

For 12 of the 14 life domains, more people held concerns about future experiences of stigma and discrimination than about negative treatment they had experienced in the previous 12 months. This is understandable, given the profound experiences of stigma and discrimination that many participants chose to write about in their survey answers or share with the interviewers.

The stories shared by participants also showed that for 10 life domains, rates of withdrawal from opportunities were also greater than experiences of stigma and discrimination in the previous 12 months. For example, participants reported that they had avoided:

1. socialising with others
2. applying for employment opportunities
3. getting help for their physical and mental health issues when they needed it
4. applying for flexible study arrangements that would help them participate in education and training.

It is highly concerning that stigma and discrimination has caused many people living with complex mental health issues to miss out on the important life opportunities, activities and social connections that are known to contribute towards personal and psychosocial recovery.

Three broad themes emerged from participants’ responses to the final optional question about what most needs to change to reduce stigma for all Australians living with complex mental health issues:

1. Education, understanding and acceptance: Participants wanted people around them to be informed about complex mental health issues, to understand and be understanding of their experiences, and to ultimately accept them.
2. Communication and visibility: Participants wanted people to speak to them and about them with respectful and inclusive language. They wanted themselves and their peers living with complex mental health issues to be visible – in their workplaces, in the media and in the community.
3. Accessible services, fair treatment and support: Participants wanted to be able to access necessary services readily and without judgement, to be treated fairly by service providers, and to be supported in ways that were inclusive and accepting.