Symposium brings together US and Australian researchers to exchange research on mental health stigma.

The Centre for Mental Health recently hosted a symposium on stigma and mental health, bringing together local researchers from MSPGH with a team of US researchers for a dialogue on their shared research interests.

The team of US researchers was led by Dr Bruce Link from Columbia University, whose seminal work on social stigma has informed much research in the area, and who presented on a school-based intervention to reduce negative attitudes and improve help-seeking. Dr Alice Villatoro presented on how parents engage in help-seeking behaviours for adolescents, and Dr Melissa Dupont-Reyes spoke about aggressive behaviours and mental health among youth.

From the Centre for Mental Health, Dr Amy Morgan spoke about the evidence for interventions to reduce stigma towards people with severe mental illness. Associate Professor Nicola Reavley presented on the impact of mental health discrimination and positive treatment. Dr Tim Schofield spoke about welfare stigma and how structural forces relate to the beliefs, behaviours and treatment of welfare recipients.

The symposium presented a chance to create ongoing connections between stigma researchers in the US and Australia, and the opportunity for a fascinating exchange of ideas and findings.

Listen to Bruce Link’s presentation here.