The stigma attached to mental illness in general, and schizophrenia in particular, affects individuals, families and carers alike. The myths associating mental illness with violence continue to be the main messages the public are aware of, largely because of the biased nature of media reporting.
Stigma is a problem all over Europe. Its effects - among them isolation, harassment and victimisation - can be as devastating as the mental illness itself. The European Federation of Associations of Families of Mentally Ill People ( EUFAMI) are hosting a Conference on 'Fighting Stigma' in Rotterdam from 27 February - 1 March 1998. Two members of the Management Board of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland) will be attending this Conference: the Vice-Chair, Susan Kirkwood, from Aberdeen and Susanna Williams (an alias used because of stigma) from Perthshire. They will report on NSF(Scotland)'s work to combat stigma, and will learn how others in Europe, through media actions and education, are seeking to change public attitudes.
The Rotterdam Conference is the first of 3, funded by the European Union with assistance from Eli Lilly International. The others will be held in June and September in other European countries.
Susan Kirkwood says,
'Considering that 1 in 4 People in Scotland suffer from a mental illness at some time in their lives, and 1 in 100 have schizophrenia, it is time that ignorance and fear are replaced with positive actions of knowledge and acceptance. The media have a significant role to play in improving public awareness and attitudes.'