Young people harmed by mental health stigma

A survey has revealed the negative impact that discrimination and stigma is having on a generation of young people with mental illness.

One in four youngsters who were surveyed by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness said the stigma attached to their illness had made them want to give up on life.

Almost three in ten (27 per cent) people under the age of 25 with mental health problems also said they felt like abandoning their ambitions because of the discrimination they encountered.

The figures were released by the charities' anti-stigma programme, Time to Change, and highlight the need for projects to tackle the discrimination associated with mental illness.

Sue Baker, the programme's director, described the problem as a 'national tragedy'.

She said: 'With one in ten children experiencing mental health problems, the impact of stigma is robbing too many of their hopes for the future.

'They are left too afraid to turn to their families, friends and teachers, or to get support.'

Meanwhile, figures from the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care show that the death rate among people with serious mental illness is three times higher than for the general population.