Partnership plans in the Netherlands

Not only has Time to Change inspired British stakeholders to work together to fight stigma but it also has inspired us in The Netherlands.

According to Dutch research, discrimination has increased in the last 30 years. In 2006/2007 the Netherlands participated in the research project Indigo, the results of which indicated that people with schizophrenia in the Netherlands do experience discrimination. Similar to results of Time to Change's surveys in England, we found that most negative experiences happen within the family, and in keeping and making friends. People also reported discrimination in relation to privacy when hospitalised or in sheltered housing facilities. Again as reflected in the English research, people report high levels of discrimination when applying for jobs.

In recent years, there have been several initiatives to combat prejudice in the Netherlands - such as festivals and educational projects. But these initiatives were never consistent and long-term, and budgets were small - so significant changes in attitudes towards people with mental health problems were never realised. However, a recent congress 'Beter in Beeld' ('Better in the picture') on 7 October, organised by the Institute for Rehabilitation, brought a range of interested parties together and inspired them to do something.

A group is now working together to find ways to set up a national campaign. The group was initially organised by employees from The Parnassia Bavo Groep (a mental health institute) and called 'Samen Sterk tegen het Stigma' ('Together we are strong against stigma'). We are currently looking for funding for research that will form the baseline for a social marketing campaign, and to finance a post to coordinate this work. From there on, we can build our network and do more fundraising for the national campaign - inspired by Time to Change.