{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T16:27:48Z","timestamp":1790612868207,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776211200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":104,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S2045796026100602_sec1a\">\n                    <jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Reducing stigma and discrimination towards people with mental ill-health is a key priority in Australian mental health policy. Population-based surveys conducted in Australia between 2003 and 2011 showed some improvement in stigmatising attitudes, but also a deterioration in attitudes about dangerousness and unpredictability, particularly in relation to schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate whether stigmatising attitudes have changed since the 2011 national survey.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S2045796026100602_sec2b\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Two large, nationally representative samples of Australian adults were surveyed in 2011 (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u00a0=\u00a01967) and 2024 (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u00a0=\u00a01984). At each time point, participants were presented with vignettes of a person in the early stages of depression or schizophrenia and completed questionnaires about stigmatising attitudes towards the person in the vignette (Personal Stigma Scale) and willingness to interact with them (Social Distance Scale). Using weighted data, logistic regressions assessed change from 2011 to 2024 while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Results were considered significant at\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u00a0&lt;\u00a0.01.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S2045796026100602_sec3c\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>There were significant reductions in endorsement of stigmatising attitudes towards depression and early schizophrenia. Notably, there were large reductions in beliefs about dangerousness (depression 22.5\u20134.8% and schizophrenia 37.1\u201318.1%). Conversely, the willingness to interact with a person with depression remained unchanged and had worsened for schizophrenia, with the odds of being unwilling to interact approximately doubling (11.0\u201326.9% unwilling to make friends and 18.8\u201333.2% unwilling to work closely with them).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S2045796026100602_sec4d\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The data show mixed findings regarding change in stigma in the Australian population. Despite negative beliefs diminishing over time, this has not translated into greater willingness to interact with people with depression or schizophrenia. Key action is needed on understanding the barriers to interacting with people with mental health conditions and reducing perceptions of unpredictability, particularly for schizophrenia, which remains more highly stigmatised.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1017\/s2045796026100602","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T08:42:42Z","timestamp":1776242562000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Public stigma of mental illness in Australia: shifts in attitudes across nationally representative surveys in 2011 and 2024"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"35","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3784-0540","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amy","family":"Morgan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Ross","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gayle","family":"McNaught","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SANE Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rachel","family":"Green","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SANE Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5513-8291","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicola Jane","family":"Reavley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291714000129","article-title":"What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies","volume":"45","author":"Clement","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psychological Medicine"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"859","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.133.5.859","article-title":"Sensitive questions in surveys","volume":"133","author":"Tourangeau","year":"2007","journal-title":"Psychological Bulletin"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref6","unstructured":"Everymind (2022) Mindframe guidelines on media reporting of complex mental illness in the context of violence and crime. Available at: https:\/\/mindframe.org.au\/mindframe-guidelines-severe-mental-illness-violence-and-crime (accessed 26 August 2025)."},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref2","volume-title":"National Survey of Mental Health-Related Stigma and Discrimination","year":"2022"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1002\/mpr.1433","article-title":"The measurement properties of stigmatizing attitudes towards mental disorders: results from two community surveys","volume":"23","author":"Yap","year":"2014","journal-title":"International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"853","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2012.301147","article-title":"The \u2018backbone\u2019 of stigma: identifying the global core of public prejudice associated with mental illness","volume":"103","author":"Pescosolido","year":"2013","journal-title":"American Journal of Public Health"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1080\/18387357.2023.2223702","article-title":"Investigating SANE\u2019s programs around stigma in the media: exploring media engagement experiences of advocates with lived experience of complex mental illness","volume":"22","author":"Ross","year":"2024","journal-title":"Advances in Mental Health"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1427","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-020-01963-0","article-title":"Evolution of public beliefs about schizophrenia and attitudes towards those afflicted in Austria over two decades","volume":"56","author":"Angermeyer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1186\/s13033-020-00423-1","article-title":"Review of Australian initiatives to reduce stigma towards people with complex mental illness: what exists and what works?","volume":"15","author":"Morgan","year":"2021","journal-title":"International Journal of Mental Health Systems"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1002\/wps.70007","article-title":"Rethinking stigma reduction programs for people with severe mental illness","volume":"25","author":"Reavley","year":"2026","journal-title":"World Psychiatry: Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.116.189464","article-title":"Association between mental health-related stigma and active help-seeking: systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"210","author":"Schnyder","year":"2017","journal-title":"British Journal of Psychiatry"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1386\/ajr_00041_1","article-title":"Guidelines for media reporting on mental illness in the context of violence and crime: a Delphi consensus study","volume":"42","author":"Ross","year":"2020","journal-title":"Australian Journalism Review"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2014.12.010","article-title":"Portraying mental illness and drug addiction as treatable health conditions: effects of a randomized experiment on stigma and discrimination","volume":"126","author":"McGinty","year":"2015","journal-title":"Social Science and Medicine"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"182","DOI":"10.5694\/j.1326-5377.1997.tb140071.x","article-title":"\u2018Mental health literacy\u2019: a survey of the public\u2019s ability to recognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment","volume":"166","author":"Jorm","year":"1997","journal-title":"Medical Journal of Australia"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref3","article-title":"Is there an association between survey characteristics and representativeness? A meta-analysis","volume":"12","author":"Carina","year":"2018","journal-title":"Survey Research Methods"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref26","article-title":"\u2018Putting yourself in the shoes of others\u2019 \u2013 relatability as a novel measure to explain the difference in stigma toward depression and schizophrenia","author":"Schomerus","year":"2024","journal-title":"Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2140202","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2021.40202","article-title":"Trends in public stigma of mental illness in the US, 1996-2018","volume":"4","author":"Pescosolido","year":"2021","journal-title":"JAMA Netw Open"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1328","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.89.9.1328","article-title":"Public conceptions of mental illness: labels, causes, dangerousness, and social distance","volume":"89","author":"Link","year":"1999","journal-title":"American Journal of Public Health"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref10","article-title":"Building a probability-based online panel: life in Australia\u2122","volume":"2","author":"Kaczmirek","year":"2019","journal-title":"CSRM Methods Series"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1086","DOI":"10.3109\/00048674.2011.621061","article-title":"Stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental disorders: findings from an Australian national survey of mental health literacy and stigma","volume":"45","author":"Reavley","year":"2011","journal-title":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"254","DOI":"10.1037\/sah0000059","article-title":"Discrimination and positive treatment toward people with mental health problems in workplace and education settings: findings from an Australian national survey","volume":"2","author":"Reavley","year":"2017","journal-title":"Stigma and Health"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1438","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(22)01470-2","article-title":"The lancet commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health","volume":"400","author":"Thornicroft","year":"2022","journal-title":"The Lancet"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref7","volume-title":"Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity","author":"Goffman","year":"1963"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"342","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.185.4.342","article-title":"Effect of web-based depression literacy and cognitive-behavioural therapy interventions on stigmatising attitudes to depression: randomised controlled trial","volume":"185","author":"Griffiths","year":"2004","journal-title":"British Journal of Psychiatry"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1017\/S2045796026100456","article-title":"A nationally representative survey of the impact of discrimination towards people with mental health problems: SANE\u2019s 2025 National Stigma Report Card","volume":"35","author":"Reavley","year":"2026","journal-title":"Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref5","first-page":"16","article-title":"Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness","volume":"1","author":"Corrigan","year":"2002","journal-title":"World Psychiatry: Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"511","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.schbul.a007098","article-title":"Measuring mental illness stigma","volume":"30","author":"Link","year":"2004","journal-title":"Schizophrenia Bulletin"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e78","DOI":"10.1192\/j.eurpsy.2022.2337","article-title":"Changes in mental illness stigma over 30 years\u2013Improvement, persistence, or deterioration?","volume":"65","author":"Schomerus","year":"2022","journal-title":"European Psychiatry"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref15","volume-title":"Dignity. Humanity. Respect: A National Strategy to Reduce Mental Health-related Stigma and Discrimination","year":"2023"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref31","volume-title":"Mosaic Toolkit to End Stigma and Discrimination in Mental Health","year":"2024"},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref30","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2022) World mental health report: transforming mental health for all. Geneva: WHO."},{"key":"S2045796026100602_ref21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"302","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2012.01.011","article-title":"Stigmatising attitudes towards people with mental disorders: changes in Australia over 8 years","volume":"197","author":"Reavley","year":"2012","journal-title":"Psychiatry Research"}],"container-title":["Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S2045796026100602","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T08:42:50Z","timestamp":1776242570000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S2045796026100602\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":32,"alternative-id":["S2045796026100602"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/s2045796026100602","relation":{},"ISSN":["2045-7960","2045-7979"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2045-7960","type":"print"},{"value":"2045-7979","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"article-number":"e26"}}