Social Contact

How does social contact help reduce mental health discrimination?

By having the opportunity to get to know someone who has experience of mental health problems, those without this type of experience have any negative beliefs they may hold challenged. Stereotypes are seen to be incorrect and new, positive beliefs and attitudes about mental health are established. It has been proven that social contact is more effective in reducing discrimination than providing education materials about mental health problems to someone with no experience of them.

What are the best conditions for social contact to work?

Research has shown that direct interactions between people who have equal status, actively co-operating in the pursuit of a mutual goal, challenges discriminatory attitudes and behaviours. Some activities where this can take place include: playing together in a football game, walking five miles together or learning a dance routine which is then performed. Throughout the Time to Change portfolio, we are putting social contact theory into practice to challenge stigma and discrimination.

Time Get Moving

The Time Get Moving project leads the way in developing social contact to challenge stigma and is all about bringing people with and without experience of mental health problems together at fun events.

At Time to Get Moving events it is ideal if there is a 50/50 mix of individuals with experience of mental health problems and those without in order to maximise the amount of stigma broken down and the number of stereotypes challenged. Find out ideas for developing social contact at Time to Get Moving events.