New research has revealed a significant shift in public attitudes in Wales, with twice as many people now feeling uncomfortable living near someone with a mental health problem compared to 3 years ago.
The latest public attitudes data from Time to Change Wales, the national programme dedicated to reducing mental health stigma in Wales, highlights this concerning trend. In 2024, 15% of people described the thought of living near someone with a mental health problem as ‘frightening,’ more than double the 7% recorded in 2021.
The programme’s latest tracking survey, which measures change over time since 2019, also found overall attitudes and behaviours towards people with a mental illness, as well as mental health-related knowledge, have fallen in Wales since 2021.
Respondents to the 2024 survey were also less comfortable discussing their mental health with friends and family, and less likely to visit a GP compared with 2021 and 2019 respectively.
The new report - the third Wales-wide survey from Time to Change Wales measuring knowledge, attitudes and intended behaviours around mental health - also found that:
- There has been a downturn in people’s willingness to continue a relationship with a friend (94% in 2021 vs 85% in 2024) live nearby (84% vs 76%) or work with someone (82% vs 76%) with mental health problems.
- The number of people who agree that we need to adopt a more tolerant attitude towards those with mental health problems in society has dropped by 9% since 2021.
- Only 1 in 10 people believe that there are sufficient existing services for those with mental health issues.
Time to Change Wales Programme Manager, Lowri Wyn Jones, said: “This latest data paints a stark snapshot of the state of stigma around mental health nationally and shows little signs of improvement on the horizon.
The data in Wales also follows a similar pattern to that recorded in England where attitudes and behaviour levels have dropped to 2009 levels.”
Increased Scepticism around Recovery, Support and Efficacy of Mental Health Treatment
Since 2019, the latest data also shows a steady decline in the number of people who think that people with severe mental health issues can fully recover (63% in 2019, 62% in 2021 and 57% in 2024).
There has also been a drop in people saying they know how to advise a friend with a mental health problem on how to access support, with only 59% claiming they would know what to do compared with 64% in 2021, and with men less likely to know compared to women.
Fewer people in 2024 also believe that medication and psychotherapy are effective treatments for people with mental health problems - 71% down from 76% in 2021 for medication, and 80% down from 86% in 2021 for psychotherapy.
When it comes to attitudes and behaviours to different types of mental health conditions, people in Wales tend to have less positive views toward those experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia too.
Only 57% of respondents said that they were willing to be friends with someone with this diagnosis, compared with 70% with someone experiencing depression suggesting there is still work to be done around tackling stigma towards less common conditions.
Lowri added: “Whilst further interrogation is needed to ascertain the drivers of this overall decline, the global pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis will have no doubt played a significant part in it.
This is why continuing to tackle stigma across all levels of society is vital to help reverse these worrying societal trends.”
Signs of Hope
Despite this bleak picture, Time to Change Wales’ latest data also shows some encouraging signs around people’s willingness to discuss mental health with their employer, increasing from 23% in 2021 to 29% in 2024.
There has also been a significant increase in awareness of the Time to Change Wales programme, with over half of respondents (57%) recalling campaign adverts in 2024 compared to 48% in 2021, and 35% in 2019.
Awareness of Time to Change Wales among men has increased from 34% to 55% since 2019 too, suggesting that exposure to campaigns delivered by programmes such as Time to Change Wales is having a direct impact on people’s attitudes and behaviours.
Sue O’Leary, Executive Director of Mind Cymru, said: “We know that ongoing experiences of stigma around mental health are still preventing a lot of people in Wales from seeking the help and support they need, and it’s unfortunate that this latest data from Time to Change Wales seem to confirm this.
There is also a pressing need to effectively address inequalities around how people with mental health problems in Wales are able to access support, and much of this also relies upon breaking down long-standing perceptions we might have of others too.
We still clearly have a long way to go in changing hearts and minds around mental health issues in Wales, even though 1 in 4 adults can expect to experience mental health problems or illness at some point during their lifetime.
That there has been a significant uptake in awareness around the work our colleagues at Time to Change Wales have been doing to break down stigma is also hugely encouraging, however, and just goes to show that change can happen.”
Alun Thomas, CEO of Adferiad said: “While it’s deeply concerning to see public attitudes toward mental health in Wales regressing, this data highlights just how crucial it is to redouble efforts to challenge stigma and discrimination. Behind these statistics are real people who face barriers to support, understanding, and inclusion every day.
Every individual living with mental health challenges deserves to be treated with compassion, respect, and dignity. This report underscores that much work remains to be done and highlights the importance of programmes like Time to Change Wales.
Together, we must create a society where people feel safe to talk about their mental health, access the support they need, and be valued as members of their communities. Tackling these worrying trends will take collective action across all sectors of society, and we must remain fully committed to making that change a reality.”
About the Research
This is the third Wales-wide survey which measures public stigma across three components: knowledge, attitudes and intended behaviours.
The three surveys show consistent trends with women having more awareness of mental illness than men, higher social grades (ABC1) being better informed, over 65s less open, and those with personal experiences more accepting of mental health issues.
The research was conducted independently by Verian (previously Kantar) from April to May 2024 and consists of 526 self-completed interviews with adults (aged 16+) living in Wales. Opinion Research Services (ORS) were commissioned to write the report.
For further information or to arrange media interviews, please contact Hanna Yusuf h.yusuf@timetochangewales.org.uk / 02920105004.