The project was framed around a long-term vision for an Australian community where everyone has equal dignity, value and respect, and opportunities to choose a life of personal meaning and purpose, free from mental health-related stigma and discrimination.
The project's focus was to explore how to:
- Reduce self-stigma amongst those who experience mental health issues and those who support them
- Reduce public stigma by changing attitudes and behaviours towards people with personal lived experience and carers, families and support people
- Take steps towards eliminating structural stigma and discrimination towards those affected by mental health issues in identified settings.
It concentrated on stigma and discrimination reduction in the following settings:
- Mental Health System
- Health System
- Financial Services, Insurance and Law
- Education and Training
- Employment
- Social Services, Disability, Income Support and Housing.
The Commission undertook a collaborative process with people with a lived experience of mental health issues, trauma, distress or suicidality, families, carers and support people, along with people with other forms of expertise across each workstream and the broader community. It also established a Steering Committee and series of Technical Advisory Groups (on self-stigma, public stigma, structural stigma and discrimination, and measurement) to guide the development of the Strategy.
A 12-week public consultation period was held from 9 November 2022 and closed on 1 February 2023.
The Commission delivered the draft Strategy to Government in June 2023, for its consideration. The Minister for Health and Aged Care has asked the Department of Health and Aged Care to consider actions from the Strategy and to share the Strategy with senior officials across governments to support consideration of joint action in the reduction of stigma and discrimination.
Consultations
Stigma Strategy - CALD engagement - Final report for publication
Stigma Strategy - ABSTARR Workshop - Final report
MISRed Reports
MISRed - Report 1 - Review of existing Australian stigma and discrimination initiatives and evidence
MISRed - Report 2 - Targeted consultations - Interim report
MISRed - Report 3 - Lived experience consultations
MISRed - Report 4 - Indigenous consultations
MISRed - Report 5 - Final summary and recommendations
