Preventing Mental Illness and Substance Use Related Stigma and Discrimination and Promoting Recovery Oriented Practices in Primary Health Care in Peru

Mental health stigma and discrimination is a worldwide public health problem that impedes access to effective and affordable community-based care and rehabilitation for people living with mental disorders. Health professionals are not immune to stigmatizing beliefs and practices. This can result in unintended negative consequences for people seeking care for mental illness, which may compromise their recovery. This novel project plans to reduce stigmatizing assumptions among public healthcare workers who deliver care to persons with mental illness and substance use problems in Peru, by implementing a comprehensive anti-stigma and anti-discrimination intervention. Emphasizing a recovery-oriented approach in service provision, it is anticipated that this model will increase access and quality of care, and may be transferable and scalable to other stigmatized health conditions and locations.