Like Minds, Like Mine Project

Like Minds, Like Mine is a national, publicly funded programme aimed at reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness.

"One of the biggest barriers to recovery is discrimination. That's why stopping discrimination and championing respect, rights and equality for people with mental illness is just as important as providing the best treatments and therapies." ~ Blueprint for Mental Health Services in New Zealand

Like Minds, Like Mine is a public education programme aimed at reducing the stigma and discrimination faced by people with experience of mental illness. The programme is funded by the Ministry of Health and guided by the Like Minds National Plan.

Around the world, stigma and discrimination is one of the major barriers to a person's recovery. But changing attitudes and behaviour in society is complex, so the Like Minds programme works on a variety of levels to try to achieve this.

About 47% of New Zealanders will experience a mental illness and/or an addiction at some time in their lives, with one in five people affected within one year. The impact on the individual and their family will vary from person to person, and may be extensive. Mental illnesses that commonly require support and treatment include schizophrenia, manic depression (bipolar) illness, personality disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, addictions and drug-induced psychoses in the case of some people with drug addictions.

The Ministry of Health supports a ‘Recovery’ approach to mental illness. For most people, mental illness is usually ‘episodal’, in nature and a good recovery is made, in a timeframe that varies from person to person. The Ministry believes that people who have experience of mental illness and/or addictions should be able to make informed decisions that promote their mental health and wellbeing. This means that all mental health service providers must operate their services in ways that assist recovery for service users.

The stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness can be a major barrier to a person’s recovery. Therefore, in 1997, the Ministry of Health initiated the Like Minds, Like Mine project to reduce the stigma of mental illness and discrimination experienced by people with mental illness. The project’s vision is to create a nation that values and includes people with experience of mental illness. It funds a range of activities, at both a national and local level, aimed at improving attitudes and behaviour of individuals, groups and organisations towards people with experience of mental illness.

For further information about the project visit www.likeminds.govt.nz