Response to the consultation about the NMHC Draft National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) welcomed the National Mental Health Commission’s (NMHC) Draft National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy. We commended the reflective, comprehensive approach of the NMHC to the development of the strategy which:

• is the first government-led strategy to take a comprehensive and systemic approach to address mental health-related stigma and discrimination in Australia,
• aims to bring renewed focus to upholding the human rights of people with personal lived experience of mental ill-health and their families, carers and support people, and
• puts forward a clear long-term vision for an Australian community where everyone has equal dignity, respect and value and is able to live a life of meaning and purpose free from mental health-related stigma and discrimination.

APS feedback included:

• The strategy clearly sets out four priorities, each supported by clear objectives and implementable and measurable immediate and longer-term actions over the next 5 years with clear accountabilities directed towards the Australian Government, state, territory and local governments, industry and the community. The work of tackling mental health-related stigma and discrimination begins with this new strategy but will likely require work over a sustained period beyond this initial 5 years to achieve the longer-term vision.
• Psychologists are uniquely placed as enablers of evidence-based community-level prevention, training and capacity building, interventions, and evaluation of interventions. Our members already work in a number of ways to promote mental health awareness and stigma reduction in a variety of settings and should be central to the development and implementation of stigma reduction initiatives.
• As acknowledged in the strategy, the unique impact of colonisation means that First Nations Peoples are not the same as other vulnerable groups. There must be deep recognition of the intergenerational trauma and ongoing disenfranchisement and the need for much greater attention to adequately reduce stigma and discrimination for our First Nation’s peoples.

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