The National Mental Health Commission is calling for feedback on Australian-first draft strategy to address mental health related stigma and discrimination.
Launching its draft National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy, the Commission said the draft Strategy outlined a long-term vision for an Australian community where everyone had equal dignity, respect and value and was able to live a life of meaning and purpose free from mental health related stigma and discrimination.
The Commission said the Strategy, open for feedback until 1 February, sought to align with other strategies and frameworks currently in place to drive improvements across Australia’s communities, including Closing the Gap, Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 and the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030.
“In doing so, the draft Strategy highlights the ways in which stigma and discrimination on the basis of mental ill-health can be addressed by leveraging and building on these and other existing reform efforts,” the Commission said.
“The draft Strategy puts forward a case for immediate and enduring effort to reduce stigma and discrimination towards people who experience mental ill-health, trauma, distress or suicidality (people with personal lived experience) and their families, friends, unpaid carers and support people (families and support people),” it said.
‘It provides a clear vision for the future, underpinned by guiding principles.”
The Commission said the draft Strategy set out four priorities, to implement foundational actions to address stigma and discrimination, reduce structural stigma and discrimination, reduce public stigma, and reduce self-stigma.
It said each priority was supported by clear objectives and a series of implementable and measurable actions.
“These actions are directed towards the Australian Government, State, Territory and local Governments, industry and the community generally,” the Commission said.
“Changes to the mindsets or behaviour that underpin stigma and discrimination require long term cultural change,” it said.
“While this draft Strategy outlines actions required over the next five years, we anticipate that subsequent Strategies will be required to cement the actions undertaken and to drive change over a sustained period.”
The Commission’s 113-page Draft Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
