Canada taking on stigma of mental illness

Many Canadians stigmatize mentally ill, poll finds
Updated Mon. Aug. 18 2008 11:02 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Many Canadians hold negative attitudes towards people with mental health issues, says a new poll released Monday by the Canadian Medical Association.

The CMA says those attitudes have not changed in decades. The federal government has announced $75 million in funding to de-stigmatize mental health in Canada, but results could take years.

The poll, which was part of the CMA's 2008 National Report Card, showed 46 per cent of Canadians think people use the term "mental illness" as an excuse for bad behaviour.

One of four Canadians in the survey said they were scared to be around someone with a mental illness - something that doesn't surprise Tammy Lambert.

She has suffered from schizoaffective disorder for more than a decade. She writes poems about her delusions and says she often feels alone at school, fighting the fears of other people.

"I don't think that they mean to treat you differently, it's just something that happens," Lambert said. "It's like mental illness red flags people."

The poll also showed only 50 per cent of Canadians would tell a friend that a family member had a mental illness -- compared to 72 per cent who would talk about a cancer diagnosis.

"We need to do a major education effort aimed at the public because the stigma with mental illness is clearly, clearly out there," Dr. Brian Day, CMA's president, told CTV News.
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