Help end stigma

Opportunities and Challenges

Identifying what opportunities exist and what challenges may need to be overcome is a crucial part of your planning process.

Opportunities:

  • Tackling stigma and discrimination is a Scottish Government priority and is an integral part of its approach to mental health improvement, published in Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland.
  • Think about specific promotional ‘weeks’ in the calendar that you can tie your work in to. For example, Scottish Mental health Week is held in October each year, to coincide with World Mental health Day on 10th October.
  • Many employers in Scotland now see the benefits of a health workplace and are working towards Healthy Working Lives awards. Mental health and well-being is a core part of this approach.
  • Schools are increasingly covering mental health and well-being as part of the curriculum. ‘see me’ can provide access to Positive Mental Attitude curriculum pack for use in schools.
  • The Scottish Mental health Arts and Film Festival is held in the autumn each year and provides a great way of making sure the people in your area get a creative message about mental health. Visit the SMHAFF website to find out how you can harness the festival’s success in your own community.
  • There might already be local groups working on this issue in your area. Visit ‘see me’s website to see if there is anyone tacking mental health stigma and discrimination near you
  • Think about local events which are high profile: local shows and gala days could be a good opportunity for a stall for example. Can you make your stall more exciting with competitions or quizzes?

Challenges:

  • Time (everyone is busy...)
  • Money: ‘see me’ can help you by providing free materials and giving you a loan of our banner stands to help raise your profile. We could also come and speak to your local campaign group.
  • Inspiration: hopefully this toolkit will help!
  • Keeping people motivated: try to involve everyone and be clear (and realistic) about what it is you want people to do. Respect people’s other commitments and value what everyone brings rather than fretting about what they don’t.