ROBYN THOMPSON Presentation SANE

SANE Australia StigmaWatch community suicide prevention in action Robyn Thompson Media Relations Manager SANE Australia February 2015

SANE Australia National mental health charity, advocating on behalf of, and supporting, people affected with mental illness so they lead better lives Suicide prevention is integral to all activities Programs include Helpline - provide advice, comment and/or referral on mental illness and suicide – related issues. on the phone and online Online forum s – offering peer support. connecting carers and people with lived experience, wherever they are Mindful Employer : encourage mentally healthy workplaces at work Suicide Prevention/Bereavement : resources and training StigmaWatch : a barometer of community attitudes

Mental illness is widespread: so is stigma Stigma stops people speaking about their concerns and asking for help Stigma contributes another major stress Stigma is a major barrier to recovery SANE Australia survey found almost 3 in every 4 respondents living with mental illness had experienced stigma ‘ Stigma was for me the most agonising part of my disorder. It cost friendships, career opportunities, and – most importantly – my self- esteem.’

Play a powerful role in shaping attitudes towards suicide and people with mental illness Can help to improve attitudes Reporting accurate and positive stories about people with mental illness Providing an understanding of mental illness Can perpetuate stigma Inaccurate or sensationalised reports generate prejudice against mental illness and result in self-stigma The media

Ongoing SANE Australia establishes StigmaWatch Australian government establishes Mindframe Australian government Invites StigmaWatch to join Mindframe StigmaWatch Continues evolving with new medi a ‘Good News’ reports introduced Launch of SANE Guide to reducing stigma

StigmaWatch reports

Mindframe Media Monitoring Study 2001/02 & 2006/07* Media reporting trends A review of mental illness and suicide reporting in the media* found that reports in 2006/7, compared with those in 2001/2 found the Australian media had almost doubled it’s coverage of suicide responsible reports increasing from 57 to 75% reference to method had reduced substantially *Pirkis, J et al The Media Monitoring Project: Changes in Media Reporting of Suicide and Mental Health and Illness in Australia: Commonwealth of Australia

Types of stigma reported

2011 SANE Australia stigma survey *  58% said coverage of mental illness improved in the past two years  73% experienced stigma or discrimination because of mental illness  83% believed media coverage of Schizophrenia was ‘poor’  64% believed media coverage of Bipolar Disorder was ‘poor’  77% believed media coverage of Depression was ‘good’ or ‘fair ’ * 400+ respondents

StigmaWatch Contributes to improving quality and quantity of reports and portrayals of mental illness and suicide in the media Empowers people living with mental illness Begins a ‘conversation’ with media professionals Next steps Developing/expanding program New focus on benefits of reduced stigma and positive reporting We need you! More info –

Questions