Press Release News Statement Issued on: 14 August 2000 For immediate release Issued by: Susan Kirkwood, Chairman, National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland) Information does not remove stigma "The recently published research by The Royal College of Psychiatrists has confirmed the need to fight the stigma which affects those with severe mental illness and their carers," says Susan Kirkwood. "The public is relatively well informed about many aspects of mental illness, but there is a general tendency to stigmatise", says Susan Kirkwood, Chairman, National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland). "The recently published research by The Royal College of Psychiatrists has confirmed the need to fight the stigma which affects those with severe mental illness and their carers." "The Fellowship is continuing its work to combat stigma and will participate in World Mental Health Day in October 2000 as an integral part of that activity. The Fellowship has publications which seek to highlight the impact of this stigma and is currently undertaking research into harassment of those with mental illness." (Ends) For further information: email: [email protected]. NSF(Scotland) Publication "STIGMA from the perspective of a service user and a carer". Sources: Changing Minds". A campaign of the Royal College of Psychiatry. Reported in the British Journal of Psychiatry July 2000. Article by Professor Arthur Crisp. The Royal College of Psychiatrists research was based on a representative sample of UK adults and establishes a baseline of attitudes and understanding of seven types of common mental disorder, including schizophrenia. Report published in Third Force News 21 July 2000.