Initiatives for Ending Stigma and Discrimination in Mental Health

Stigma attached to mental disorders represents a major obstacle for affected people and their relatives. Stigma is a complex phenomenon, which has been conceptualized as a problem of knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes. Several types of stigma have been described, including public stigma, structural stigma, experienced stigma, felt/perceived stigma, self-stigma or internalized stigma, and associative/courtesy stigma. To counteract stigma, different approaches have been developed, which can be classified into education-based, protest-based, and contact-based strategies. Although many international anti-stigma initiatives and campaigns have been implemented, there is still much work to be done.