stigma

The Mental Health Council of Australia ( MHCA ) has today welcomed the release of Mindframe’s latest resource for media professionals and journalists for reporting suicide and mental illness. “Language can have a significant impact on how we think about an issue. We acknowledge that the language we use around mental health can impact people in a detrimental way. Casual misuse can actually act as a barrier to people seeking help, and impact their confidence in their recovery journey, ” Frank Quinlan, CEO of the MHCA said.

This submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission ( ALRC ) describes how people with experience of mental illness often do not have access to insurance on reasonable terms. The MHCA argues that the exemptions that providers of insurance currently enjoy under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 be reviewed and amended, and that an independent actuarial study be conducted on the data insurers use to assess the risks associated with mental illness. The submission also calls for a number of improvements to industry practice, including to insurance products, guidelines, forms and processes, and staff training.

More than one in five Australians have experienced discrimination in the workplace due to mental illness, according to new research by the Mental Health Council of Australia ( MHCA ). The research has been conducted as part of this year’s World Mental Health Day campaign. “When 22% of people surveyed tell us that they have witnessed discrimination in the workplace, relating to mental illness, it shows that we have a serious problem with stigma in this country,” MHCA CEO Frank Quinlan said today.

The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquired into the Exposure Draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012. This joint submission by MHCA and beyondblue draws attention to the negative experiences of people with a mental illness who try to access insurance and proposes amendments to the Bill to ensure that insurers who are granted an exemption from anti-discrimination law are held accountable.

One- in- five people will experience mental illness this year. It’s an astounding statistic but one that for too long has not made headlines. Mental illness is more common than you think and it touches people of all ages and from all walks of life. However it’s a subject that is too often hidden or stigmatised due to shame or embarrassment. As a result, many thousands of people are left feeling isolated and alone. This is what the Mental Health Council of Australia will address in its national campaign for World Mental Health Day 2012.

In this Issue: The Road Ahead?; Mental Health in Immigration Detention Centres; Report Highlights Level of Stigma from Health Professionals; Why Don’t We Talk about Suicide?; A Foray into Social Media: Bumpy Beginnings; Centrelink, Human Services and DEEWR – an Update on Employment Participation and Mental Health; MHCA News and Updates; Our Consumer Place

A study by the Mental Health Council of Australia has revealed that the levels of stigma experienced by mental health consumers seeking treatment from mental health and other health professionals are similar to the levels of stigma reported in the general population. “The MHCA is calling on all health professions to examine their approach to mental illness and ensure people experiencing mental illness and their carers receive the same level of non-judgemental care and concern as people with any other health condition”, said Frank Quinlan, CEO of the Mental Health Council of Australia.

A study by the Mental Health Council of Australia has revealed that the levels of stigma experienced by mental health consumers seeking treatment from mental health and other health professionals are similar to the levels of stigma reported in the general population. “The MHCA is calling on all health professions to examine their approach to mental illness and ensure people experiencing mental illness and their carers receive the same level of non-judgemental care and concern as people with any other health condition”, said Frank Quinlan, CEO of the Mental Health Council of Australia.

In this Issue: Mental Health Forums; The Minister’s Forums; The Ongoing Stigma of Mental Health; Launch of Carers Report 2010; Adverse Event Reporting; Our Consumer Place; Staff Changes at the MHCA ; Changes to the MHCA Board; National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Representation

The National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum and the MHCA strongly support the development and implementation of a National Carer Strategy, in particular a consideration of issues for specific groups, as their needs and issues are quite distinct form other carers.