More must be done to dispel stigma around serious mental illness, say clinicians
MORE must be done to end the stigma and “correct the myths” around serious mental illness (SMI), clinicians have warned.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland (RCPS) made the call after YouGov research it commissioned found 72 per cent of the 1,067 adults surveyed think there is a problem with stigmatisation of SMI.
Despite 2021 RCPS figures showing that 16,200 people in Scotland lived with schizophrenia, 52,697 had bipolar disorder and 20,104 had an eating disorder, 73 per cent of respondents pointed to a lack of awareness and education around SMI — a situation just 45 per cent believe had improved in the last five years.
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