title: [Strategies against the stigmatisation of mentally ill subjects and their practical realisation in the example of Irrsinnig Menschlich e. V].
abstract: In our society people with mental illness are still stigmatised and exposed to various forms of discrimination. Individual and structural discrimination and discrimination due to self-stigmatisation can be distinguished. The association "Irrsinnig Menschlich" ("Madly human") in Leipzig will serve as a model to present approaches to reduce these different kinds of discrimination of mentally ill people. The school project "Crazy? So what!" and the film festival "Ausnahmezustand" ("state of emergency"), carried out all over Germany in 2006, will be described in more detail. The first evaluation of both projects showed a reduction of stigmatisation to be possible. Students participating in the project tended to decrease their social distance to the mentally ill. These developments were not present with the control groups. Although the majority of the audience at the film festival either knew somebody who is mentally ill or were themselves suffering from a mental illness, the results showed that watching these documentaries can result in a reduction of social distance towards mentally ill people. Only long-term efforts can make anti-stigma campaigns successful and effective. Irrsinnig Menschlich has established the framework for this.
authors.affiliation: Universität Leipzig, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richter-Werling
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Angermeyer
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D005858:Germany; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012934:Social Isolation