Campaign: Admitting mental health problem harder than coming out

Nearly one in three people in the UK say they would find it hard to admit to having a mental health problem compared to one in five who would find it difficult to come out as gay, according to a survey published today.

The poll of 2,300 adults for the Time to Change campaign, launched last month to tackle mental health discrimination, found more people would find it hard to admit to a mental health problem than to bankruptcy or a drink problem.

It was also found that 30% of the general public thought that someone with a mental health problem could not do a responsible job. Campaigners said that the results confirmed the view that mental health is one of the “last social taboos”.

Time to Change celebrity supporter Ruby Wax, who has suffered from depression, said: “It used to be the ‘C’ word – cancer – that people wouldn’t discuss. Now it’s the ‘M’ word. We need to take the stigma out of mental illness.

“People with mental health problems shouldn’t have to be afraid of losing friends, relationships or even their job because of it.”

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