Public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour regarding people with mental illness in England 2009-2012

BACKGROUND: Public stigma against people with mental health problems is damaging to individuals with mental illness and is associated with substantial societal burden. AIMS: To investigate whether public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to people with mental health problems have improved among the English population since the inception of the Time To Change programme in 2009. METHOD: We analysed longitudinal trends in public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour between 2009 and 2012 among a nationally representative sample of English adults. RESULTS: There were improvements in intended behaviour (0.07 standard deviation units, 95% CI 0.01-0.14) and a non-significant trend for improvement in attitudes (P = 0.08) among the English population. There was, however, no significant improvement in knowledge or reported behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide support for effectiveness of the national Time to Change programme against stigma and discrimination in improving attitudes and intended behaviour, but not knowledge, among the public in England.