Alarming rise in mental health stigma says Mind, as research shows public attitudes to mental health worsening
Public attitudes towards mental health and people with mental health problems are getting worse, with more than one in ten unwilling to live next to someone who has been mentally unwell – even if they have since recovered.
This is according to new research commissioned by Mind, and carried out by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, as part of the charity’s annual Big Mental Health Report.
Mind’s Attitudes to Mental Illness survey found that:
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Fewer people are comfortable about mental health services being delivered in their communities (from 70% in 2015 to 63% now
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14% of people are frightened of people with poor mental health living in their neighbourhoods, up from 8% in 2017
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Fewer people now believe that being part of a normal community is the best therapy for people with mental health problems than 2008 (from a peak of 83% in 2015, to 68% now), when this research was first conducted.
Although more than 90% of people agreed that virtually anyone can be affected by mental ill health, some key indicators of attitudes to mental health have even fallen below levels first seen in 2008, when attitudes were first recorded. At that time, more people believed that the best therapy for those with mental ill health was being part of a community.
Mind, the nation’s largest mental health charity, is warning that an increasingly negative public discourse about mental health, from politicians and in the media, risks undoing the progress in attitudes and stigma achieved in recent years. Researchers have suggested that this discourse, including that young people with mental health problems being branded as “workshy” and as misusers of the welfare system may be contributing to the shifts in public attitudes.
Attitudes are backsliding
The research shows troubling shifts in attitudes about the way people with mental health problems receive care.
Fewer people are comfortable about mental health services being delivered in their communities (from 70% in 2015 to 63% now), and more are concerned that having such services in their area downgrades the neighbourhood (10% in 2019 – 16% now). However, studies show that treating mental health in communities is better both for individuals and the communities they live in.
Fewer people now believe that being part of a normal community is the best therapy for people with mental health problems than in 2008 (from a peak of 83% in 2015, to 68% now), when this research was first conducted.
There has also been a significant drop in the number of people who say people with severe mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia or psychosis) can fully recover. This figure peaked at 67% in 2019 and has fallen to 53% in 2024. The 2024 figure marks a fall of 6% from 2023. In fact, it is entirely possible to recover from Schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses.
Overall, the research found that fewer people now believe we need to be adopting a more tolerant approach to people with mental health problems (from a peak of 91% in 2015, down to 85%), with this figure now back around 2008 levels. In some areas though the picture was more positive, with eight in ten people believing for example that people with mental health problems should have the same right to work as anyone else.
Mental health services backsliding too
The findings are released as part of Mind’s Big Mental Health report, the charity’s annual state of the nation report on mental health and care in England and Wales. The report reveals the worsening state of mental health services, including for children and young people.
There is a clear link between poor services and stigma. When the UK government doesn’t prioritise mental health services, it gives the message that mental health isn’t important. By investing in and prioritising policy solutions that improve the lives of people living with a mental health problem, this sends a clear signal that these individuals should be treated with dignity and respect.
What we are seeing now is:
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1.66 million people were waiting for community mental health care in the third quarter of 2024–25 (this includes those waiting for their first or second appointment).
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More than 35,000 young people have been waiting for over two years for support.
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Youth service funding in England having dropped by 73% since 2010, and facing growing demand.
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Mental health makes up over 20% of the burden of disease in England, yet receives less than 10% of NHS spending.
Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of Mind, said:
“The rise in stigma is alarming – and it should worry us all. It’s making it harder for people to reach out for help when they need it most. With one in four of us affected by mental health problems every year, that’s not just a statistic – it’s millions of lives put at risk by fear, shame and silence.
“When attitudes harden, progress grinds to a halt. It becomes harder to improve services, secure investment, or build the compassionate systems people deserve. And the evidence points to a stark and deepening crisis in young people’s mental health – one we can no longer ignore.
“The UK Government has an opportunity to turn the tide on the mental health of the next generation – but that work needs to start now. With reports of an upcoming review into the prevalence of mental health problems, this must be used as an opportunity to identify ways to truly create a mentally healthier nation, including tangible steps to bring down waiting lists and improvements in people being able to access support early.
“Our most crucial ask of government is simple: show belief in the nation’s young people by investing in their mental health. Scaling up Young Futures Hubs – safe, welcoming spaces where young people can get support early and locally – would be a powerful start. Let’s not delay. Let’s act now to build the kind of future where every young person can thrive.”
Prof Claire Henderson of King’s IoPPN said:
“Stigma has many contributing factors. We’re increasingly seeing healthcare services that are stretched and struggling to cope with demand, while people are struggling in difficult economic circumstances. These stressors can lead to reduced empathy and optimism that people can recover.
“The news is not all bad however, with some positive signs. There also appears to be a difference between people’s attitudes towards mental ill health generally, versus towards mental ill health in those they know."
Andy Bell, CEO of Centre for Mental Health, said:
“The Big Mental Health Report this year contains compelling evidence of a decline in the population’s mental health over the last decade. It’s now urgent that we see concerted action to turn this around. With rising levels of stigma, more people are at risk of being left out in the cold in a society that is less mentally healthy, more unequal, and less cohesive. A mentally healthier society would be a fairer society, with higher living standards and a stronger economy.”
