Discrimination and stigma are added burdens for people with mental illnesses.   Fortunately, there are many individuals and organizations making efforts to reduce mental illness stigma and discrimination.

This resource guide will tell you about some of those organizations and efforts and provide you with links to their websites.  In addition, there is information about books, videos, research and other materials that may be of assistance in understanding and reducing discrimination and stigma.
 

• One of the prominent issues in relation to discrimination and stigma involves the terminology used to refer to mental health problems and those who experience them.  Discussions of language related to mental illnesses include the question of whether the word “stigma” may itself be stigmatizing.  To see my thoughts about this issue, click here:  STIGMA: IS IT THE RIGHT WORD?   For other discussions of language referring to mental illnesses, click here: LANGUAGE MATTERS

• Many of the organizations listed rely on the involvement of people across the country to become "stigmabusters" who help to fight stigma and discrimination through their individual actions. These include the National Stigma Clearinghouse, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Mental Health America. For a list of these organizations and links to them, click here:  ORGANIZATIONS THAT FIGHT DISCRIMINATION AND STIGMA

• Many of the above organizations and others have developed specific programs to reduce discrimination and stigma.  For a list and description of some of these specific programs, click here: SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT FIGHT DISCRIMINATION AND STIGMA

• There are now many lay-oriented books available that may help people to better understand mental illnesses.  Some of these provide basic information about specific mental illnesses.  Others address issues related to mental illnesses and stigma (such as media depictions of mental illnesses).  Particularly valuable are books by and about individuals with mental illnesses--autobiographical and biographical accounts of the experience of mental illness.  For lists of some of these readings, along with brief descriptions of each, click here:  RECOMMENDED READINGS

• Numerous materials have been produced by the above organizations and others that my be useful to those fighting stigma and discrimination, both for their own information and for use in educating others about mental illnesses and the problems of stigma.  For a list of these and links through which to learn about or view these materials, click here: MATERIALS: VIDEOS, EXHIBITS/POSTERS, HANDOUTS, BRIEF ARTICLES

• In addition, people who are interested in current stigma research might check out pages in this website concerning the recent and ongoing research efforts of myself and my students by clicking here: RECENT AND ONGOING RESEARCH