People living with mental health and substance use are more likely to experience stigma and discrimination when accessing services. Additionally, staff working in health services are less likely to identify and manage their mental health concerns due to stigma.

Stigma is pervasive across health services and can be a significant barrier to individuals seeking care and receiving appropriate support. Despite advancements in treatment and awareness, negative attitudes and discriminatory practices continue to influence quality of care, willingness of individuals to engage with services, and overall experiences and health outcomes.

Queensland Health has implemented the Shatter Stigma campaign, which aims to promote mental health awareness, reduce stigma among healthcare professionals, and foster an environment of inclusivity and support.

This campaign started with a simple concept of ‘Shatter Mental Health Stigma’ shirts worn one day a week in one Hospital and Health Service and has developed into a statewide campaign with a Community of Practice, Stigma Champions, and in 2025, targeted training for all staff across the department.

Our campaign is focused on reducing mental health stigma. We are committed to shattering mental health and AOD-related stigma and promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in our workplaces, homes and community.

The tragic attack at Bondi Junction Shopping Centre in April 2024 resulted in a burst of media coverage that had strong potential to perpetuate harmful or inaccurate public stereotypes of mental illness, increase public stigma and cause considerable distress within the complex mental health community. SANE StigmaWatch and Mindframe work together to deliver a world leading program that works with media behind the scenes to improve media coverage of mental health and suicide. This presentation outlines the key activities undertaken by these organisations immediately following the attack to address misinformation, encourage safe and balanced media coverage, and elevate lived experience and expert voices. This presentation also shares early findings of a comparative international media analysis which demonstrates the relative impact of the StigmaWatch and Mindframe programs in Australia to tackle stigmatising news portrayals of mental illness.

Methamphetamine-related deaths are increasing across Australia. Methamphetamine use is also associated with high levels of stigma, likely shaped by sensationalist media representations. Stigma causes significant psychological distress, reduced help-seeking, and negative health outcomes for people who use methamphetamine (e.g., increased co-occurring mental health issues). This study investigated what specific characteristics in a news article about a drug-related death (DRD) influenced stigmatising attitudes.
Methods
A nationally representative sample of Australians (>18 years) completed an online Qualtrics survey (15 mins). Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight simulated news articles depicting a DRD, varying in age (older vs. younger), gender (male vs. female), and drug type (methamphetamine vs. ecstasy). Primary analysis was a 2x2x2 factorial MANOVA with total stigma score and support for harm reduction as dependent variables.
Results
Results from 1490 participants (54.7% female, mean age 45.7±17.7) found stigma was higher for older compared to younger subjects (p < .001) and methamphetamine compared to ecstasy (p < .001).
Conclusions
Older age and methamphetamine use were associated with higher public stigma towards a representation of a DRD. These findings offer insight into the role of news media in shaping audience attitudes and highlight the need to improve media reporting of drug related deaths.

Methamphetamine use remains a significant concern within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia. However, culturally appropriate resources and support remain limited, and stigma around methamphetamine use is widespread. This project aims to address these challenges by developing lived experience videos that demonstrate that addiction can affect anyone and recovery is possible.
Through focus groups and interviews with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members (n=166 and n=11), real stories were gathered to create three 3-minute lived experience videos. These videos were developed in collaboration with Garuwa, a First Nations creative agency, and an Expert Advisory Group that included Aboriginal elders, researchers, and health workers, ensuring the content was culturally relevant and safe.
The videos are available on the Cracks in the Ice website and will form part of an evaluation study assessing their impact on reducing stigma and discrimination related to methamphetamine use. This project is a culturally sensitive resources that aims to reduce stigma and promote hope for recovery. It aligns with the 2025 theme, "ENVISIONING 2050: Towards a better mental health system," by contributing to mental health service development that is inclusive, culturally safe, and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

What would a stigma-free Queensland look like? What would it take to get there?

Jurisdictions around the world have implemented population-level campaigns and initiatives to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental health, alcohol and other drug use, and suicide.

Now it’s Queensland’s turn to tackle this complex social problem.

A Queensland Parliamentary inquiry recommendation tasked the Queensland Mental Health Commission with developing a public health campaign to reduce stigma, and increase help-seeking and help-offering behaviours. It also called for a range of capacity and capability building initiatives in key audiences and settings.

Supported by an unprecedented $10 million government investment, Queensland has an opportunity to challenge stigma and discrimination and prioritise dignity for people with lived-living experience. To get to a place where compassion, care and connection are core to our communities. Where people are able and willing to seek help early and find appropriate care in the right place at the right time, and without judgement. Where a person’s lived-living experience presents no barrier to a life of participation, inclusion and enjoyment.

This Commission presentation will share the approach and foundational learnings from the project’s initial development, prior to the campaign's launch due later this financial year.