Copy of the fictional statements used in the Discrimination firsthand video.
Citation: To use copy below please include the following citation and information, and
also include details of the YouTube web address:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWuKtrgT160&list=PL7N0D2Uw2l0xJ6aeud6QXT1GkLR-VdEh
Clement S, Bonnington O, Gabbidon J, Lassman F, Dockery L, Farrelly S, Jeffery D,
Schauman O, Brohan E, Henderson C, Thornicroft G. Discrimination firsthand: fictional
statements from themes identified in the SAPPHIRE MIRIAD study. YouTube Video,
King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, 2013. This study presents independent
research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), UK, under
its Programme Grants for Applied Research scheme (RP-PG-0606-1053). The views
expressed in this video are those of the participants as interpreted by the research team
and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health.
Fictional statement reflecting themes
No one thinks I’m a good parent. Social services threatened to
take my son when I fell pregnant. My ex stops me seeing my
older child. I want to be involved in his education but teachers
ignore me and think I can’t cope. Even my son called me ‘mad’.
The benefits forms were terrible and there was no-one to help
me. The questions don’t really fit mental health problems. I was
taken off disability benefits and put onto Jobseeker’s. I had to go
through the stress of appealing because they didn’t believe that I
wasn’t able to work.
I’ve lived here for years and once someone from the mental
health team visited everyone started gossiping about me. Now
people ignore me when I say hello and give me funny looks. My
neighbour even called me a nutter and threatened to hit me.
I was a successful manager for years, but after my breakdown I
was pushed out. I applied for jobs I was over qualified for, but
employers won’t touch you once you mention mental illness. Even
in this job they aren’t happy about me going to appointments and
think I can’t cope.
I had a really lovely boyfriend until he found out I had bipolar.
Then he started to use it against me and take advantage. I felt I
couldn’t do or say anything without it being blamed on my mental
health. When I went into hospital he broke up with me.
I was having pains in my chest but my GP thought it was all in my
head. I had to go to A&E and they got some psychiatrist to see
me. In the end it turned out to be angina.
You find out who your real friends are when you get ill. Even my
best mate from school stopped picking up my calls. The ones who
have stuck around…when they’re trying to be understanding, they
Life area
Role as parent
to your
children
Benefits
People in my
neighbourhood
Work
Dating
Physical
Health
Friends
still don’t understand and don’t know what to say find out your
real friends are
My mental health team let me down. They ignore me and are
rude and disinterested. They don’t listen when I say I’m starting to
feel unwell. But when things kick off they say I’m aggressive and
I’m thrown back on the wards.
Whenever we argue my wife calls me ‘mental’ but at the same
time she doesn’t understand how hard it is and that some days I
can’t do anything… and she’s too embarrassed to come to
appointments with me, even though I could use support.
My family still treat me like a child. They think I can’t make
decisions. My sisters planned my dad’s birthday and didn’t
include me. My cousins won’t hang out with me anymore and my
mum doesn’t always understand. I’ve stopped going to family gettogethers, it’s like they’re tip-toeing around me.
Friends don’t invite me out anymore. When I go out, people go
quiet and don’t make eye contact with me. I get the feeling they
think I’m a scary mad person or they think I’m not up to it. I used
to go out lots and now I’m stuck at home.
Mental health
staff
Marriage or
divorce
Family
Social life