Until 2013, Australian state and territory laws allowed forcing people into psychiatric treatment if it was thought necessary to protect them from serious harm – even if they competently refused it.
I conducted interviews with 26 young women in alcohol and drug treatment services in Victoria. More than half of them disclosed a history of sexual abuse and 20 spoke about cutting themselves.
Perceived stigma, failure to seek help and failures of policing organisations to support help-seeking have created a melting pot of despair for some officers.
Behavioural activation aims to increase engagement in activities we value, which boosts our chances of deriving pleasure and a sense of achievement from life.
Poor mental health in transgender people is primarily the product of social stigma and violence. This counters the view that being transgender is itself pathological.
Efforts to avoid stigmatising people from Muslim backgrounds seem to be coming at the unexpected cost of adding stigma to those with mental health issues.
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary