Harassment and Discrimination faced by People with Psycho-Social Disability in Health Services – A European Story (2002-2004)

Funded by

European Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs - Community Action Programme to combat discrimination 2001-2006

Duration

30 months, from March 2002 to August 2004

Summary

Today discrimination of people with mental health problems is one of the major causes of social exclusion. People with mental health problems or psychosocial disability are not a small minority. They represent 10 % of the total population. This means ± 45 million people in the European Union. People who have experience of mental illness have all experienced discrimination. They may have been denied jobs, accommodation, relationships, social dignity, adequate health services or basic human rights. Their families and the people who try to help them often experience this same discrimination due to the taboo and the stigmatisation. This cause pain, distress, long term damage and social exclusion from the society.

Objectives

• To start the development of tools to prevent and to tackle discrimination for selected target groups: the user movement, family organisations, the disability movement, (mental) health workers, politicians and policy makers;
• To raise awareness about discrimination faced by people with mental health problems in health care services;
• To develop and to promote strategies to combat discrimination;
• To investigate and to try and find ways of tackling the harassment and discrimination that people with psychosocial disability face in the field of health services (general health care services and mental health care services) because of their mental health problems.

Outcomes

1) One day seminar on Friday, 23 April 2004 in Brussels.

2) The partners also organised national seminars in their own countries.

Publications and documents

Training Pack for (mental) health professionals

Recommendations aimed at policy makers, in Dutch, English, French, German  and Spanish

A poster on where to seek help when being discriminated against, in Dutch, English, German  and Spanish

A brochure on where to seek help when being discriminated against, in Dutch, English, German  and Spanish

Booklet with examples of best practices

Lead organisation

Mental Health Europe, Belgium

Partners

Pro Mente Austria, Austria

Bundesverband Psychiatrie-Erfahrener, Germany

Cliëntenbond, Netherlands

FEAFES, Spain

Mind, United Kingdom

Contact

MHE Secretariat,