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A tribute to Robin Williams at the Emmys. Dean Burnett’s piece on the actor’s death earlier this year struck a chord with many readers. Photograph: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
A tribute to Robin Williams at the Emmys. Dean Burnett’s piece on the actor’s death earlier this year struck a chord with many readers. Photograph: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Did 2014 mark the beginning of the end for mental health stigma?

This article is more than 9 years old

A lot of dreadful things happened in 2014. But one potential positive trend is that it seemed increasingly difficult to get away with dismissing or condemning those with mental health problems. Is this an anomaly, or is the tide really turning against mental health stigma?
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In August, I did a post about the tragic passing of Robin Williams. It was a quickly written piece, but much to my surprise it rapidly became my most popular article to date, and it probably always will be given the numbers involved.

My editors suggested I explore the reasons why this happened. At first, I didn’t want to; revisiting an unexpected success to exploit it further seemed like asking for trouble. I just couldn’t get the words Matrix: Reloaded out of my head. But I was genuinely surprised that so many would latch on to something I hurriedly wrote. Granted, Robin Williams was internationally popular and well-loved, but there were countless posts about him that day, from abundant media sources and beyond.

According to those I’ve asked, they shared my post largely because it wasn’t really about Robin Williams, but an attack on the public knee-jerk dismissals and condemnations of him and others who suffer mental health problems that result in them taking their own lives.

Not everyone liked or agreed with my article, and that’s fine; it’s a complex and often deeply personal subject, so that’s inevitable. But the “defence of those with mental health problems” approach clearly struck a chord, and if you look at the coverage regarding stories about mental illness in 2014, it becomes increasingly apparent that publicly dismissing, ignoring or condemning mental health concerns is something you can no longer expect to just get away with.

The Robin Williams coverage was perhaps the most high-profile example. Yes, there was the bleakly inevitable intrusive media coverage, with the mainstream press invariably falling over itself to get needless coverage and ghoulish details. But encouragingly, there seemed to be just as many pieces and stories condemning this type of reporting, and not just limited to personal blogs and Facebook posts; a lot of this was also in the mainstream press.

Of course, many parts of the media will leap at any opportunity to attack others, but the fact remains that publicly defending or criticising something on the strength of mental health concerns is increasingly considered a viable tactic in the mainstream. This is encouraging.

Smaller scale examples of this occurred throughout the year, with X Factor’s ridiculous Halloween performance being one of the more ludicrous ones. X Factor’s not exactly known for being considerate to mental health issues, but in 2014 it seemed to cross the line. Similarly, 2013 saw offensive Halloween costumes come under fire, but 2014 saw politicians joining in the condemnation. It would be easy to mock this, suggesting that politicians are always behind the times. Even so, for a high-ranking politician to publicly condemn the stigmatising of mental health problems is encouraging. Either he felt that doing so was something that would gain him public support, or he didn’t think that but felt strongly enough to do it anyway! An influential figure actively (and publicly) condemning mental health stigma; that can’t hurt.

JK Rowling. Photograph: CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERS

Perhaps more important than politicians’ voices are those of celebrities. Individuals with a very large fanbase such as Stephen Fry and Ruby Wax are becoming increasingly outspoken about their mental health struggles and the need for greater support and acceptance for sufferers. But now you can also expect defence of mental health problems from more surprising sources, such as J K Rowling, Alastair Campbell, controversial comedian Frankie Boyle and London rapper Professor Green. People like this can potentially reach an audience beyond the “woolly liberal” sorts who you’d probably expect to criticise mental health stigma anyway, and who’s to say it isn’t having an effect already?

2014 has provided a number of positive or encouraging stories about mental health issues. Recognition of the importance of mental health in higher education, progress in psychology being accepted in China, and August saw condemnation of the practice of mentally ill children/teenagers being placed in police cells. This very week, the Home Office has vowed to put an end to this. Also, the Guardian itself has dedicated its Christmas charity appeal to nine mental health charities.

Anyone with an interest in mental health with a social media account will likely have noticed regular sharing of images or articles that emphasise how mental illness can be as bad as (or worse than) physical illness. Someone revealing that they take antidepressants isn’t as shocking as perhaps it once was, and nor should it be, with so many people doing the same.

Perhaps a surprising voice championing better treatment for mental health patients is British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg. A leading figure in an unpopular government, head of a party crashing in the opinion polls, Clegg must either see championing mental health concerns as a vote winner, or feels he has nothing to lose so is campaigning for something he feels is important. Again, it shows that mental health stigma is now viewed as unacceptable in very influential circles.

But this all suggests those in the population with mental health issues are passive, cowed even, who need powerful figures to speak up on their behalf. Events in 2014 showed that this is far from the case. Nothing illustrated this more than the backlash against the Samaritan’s Radar app. Arguably a well-meant project, the Samaritans Radar angered many of those is was supposed to help , threatening to share their tweets (without their consent) with “concerned” subscribers who could turn out to be anything but. The Samaritans learned, to their cost, that the 2014 mental health community are more than willing to stand up for themselves.

The Samaritans Radar controversy revealed just how much value people with mental health issues place on their Twitter accounts and the interactions they have via them. This may be part of the explanation for why mental health stigma is a lot harder to get away with in 2014; those with mental health problems have the internet and social media now, they can share their issues and problems with others and find compassion and support (this is also true for other marginalised communities). There is strength in numbers, and perhaps people are becoming more aware that one in four people will experience mental health problems. At the risk of sounding overly cynical, you can see why politicians and the like might not want to risk offending such a large number of potential voters.

We’re also becoming more aware of our brains and psychology as information becomes more widespread, and perhaps with that comes awareness of brains going awry? Or, to be deeply cynical again, if there is a shift towards acceptance and tolerance of mental health problems, it may be a consequence of an increasingly ageing population resulting in increasing cases of dementia. As more and more people experience the ordeal of seeing an immediate relative succumb to severe cognitive disruption, awareness of the potential devastation of mental illness can only spread further, albeit by very unpleasant means.

Please don’t think that this article is arguing that the problems being faced by those with mental health issues are going away or gone. NHS cuts mean mental healthcare facilities are in a terrible state and likely to get worse. And you only have to scroll through the Twitter accounts of any outspoken mental health sufferer to see that prejudice and stigma are still in rude health.

So yes, those with mental health concerns do still have to deal with all manner of dreadful obstacles and ordeals on a regular basis; the point of this article is that there seems to be a growing agreement that this is unacceptable.

You may think this whole piece is overoptimistic, and so be it. I make no apologies for this; we could do with something positive given the horrific news of late.

There are still countless challenges presented by mental health problems and associated stigmas. But in order for challenges to be dealt with they have to first be acknowledged as worth dealing with by those in positions to do so. And maybe, just maybe, this started happening in 2014.

If you would like to donate to the Guardian’s Christmas appeal in aid of mental health charities, you can do so here.

Dean Burnett likes to stay positive on Twitter, @garwboy

  • The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett (Guardian Faber, £12.99). To order a copy for £7.99, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99.

More on this story

More on this story

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  • Snowfall on TV: a song to raise money for our 2014 Christmas appeal

  • Caring for the carers: helping children who care for parents with mental illness

  • The garden of peace: helping veterans heal the mental scars of war

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