Is anti-stigma the new stigma?

Is anti-stigma the new stigma?

The 'Time to Change' campaign challenges stigma and discrimination against people with mental health conditions. For the next phase of the campaign Time to Change is helping groups and individuals organise activities which actively cooperate in challenging discriminatory attitudes and behaviours.

Time to Change advises that 'at Get Moving events it is ideal if there is a 50/50 mix of individuals with experience of mental health problems and those without in order to maximise the amount of stigma broken down and the number of stereotypes challenged.' Events suggested are football games, group walks or 'a dance routine which is then performed'.

The campaign promotes 'social contact' and 'social contact theory' put into practice' to challenge stigma and discrimination'.

Why should people with mental health conditions have to access mainstream activities as part of a campaign?

Challenging discrimination is achieved primarily through engaging in mainstream as a contributor, a consumer or a provider. Many people with mental health conditions access mainstream activities, making their own choices as to whether to disclose or not. The most impact in challenging mainstream can be achieved by prioritising individual goals and aspirations. Support is also available to access mainstream from mental health organisations and bridge builders or through direct payments.

People who play football who happen to have mental health conditions are footballers. They aren't required to be 'positive mental health footballers'. People who play guitar who happen to have mental health conditions are guitarists, not mental health guitarists. People who are arts tutors who have a mental health condition are arts tutors. By continuing to tag mental health on mainstream activities and aspirations there is a danger of recycling stigma and not allowing people to move into valued social roles.

Could anti-stigma be the new stigma?