CAMH Online Course Reducing Stigma Around the World

We know that people with mental illness and addiction often face stigma in society, but many people would be surprised to learn that they face it in health care environments as well. This year, CAMH and the Mental Health Commission of Canada launched a free online course called Understanding Stigma, designed to help health care professionals develop strategies to change attitudes and behaviours, leading to improved patient-provider interactions and better care for people with mental illness, including addiction.

The online course is hosted on CAMH’s website, making it easily accessible to health care providers and frontline clinicians across Canada. In just the first month, over 1,000 participants signed up from at least 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

“CAMH is committed to improving the quality of care and driving mental health advocacy through education. We are delighted to partner with the Mental Health Commission of Canada to reduce the stigma of mental illness,” says Dr. Ivan Silver, CAMH’s Vice-President of Education. “As health care providers, we must continue to challenge our own attitudes and co-create strategies with our patients to address stigma.”