On World Mental Health Day 2025, GAMIAN-Europe launched the Breaking The Stigma Project, a new European initiative dedicated to tackling the stigma and misinformation that continue to surround major mental health conditions.

Despite growing awareness, people living with conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) still face harmful stereotypes and discrimination. These attitudes affect access to care, relationships, employment, and overall quality of life. The  Breaking The Stigma Project aims to confront these issues by amplifying lived experience, promoting understanding, and encouraging more respectful conversations about mental health both online and offline.

At the heart of this year’s launch is a video that brings to life the real impact of stigma and highlights the importance of empathy and inclusion. The project is supported by an in-depth report, Breaking the Stigma Around Mental Health Conversations, which explores how stigma spreads on social media, how misinformation shapes perceptions, and how people with lived experience use digital spaces to connect and advocate.

Through these combined efforts, GAMIAN-Europe calls for a shift in how mental health is discussed and responded to online in order to create a healthier and safer online environment and society in general. The initiative offers practical recommendations for patients, carers, professionals, and policymakers to help create a Europe where mental health is understood, respected, and free from stigma.

Launched today, on World Mental Health Day 2025, the  Breaking The Stigma Project is a call to action for everyone to challenge misconceptions, share accurate information, and stand with those whose voices too often go unheard.

For more information on GAMIAN-Europe’s ongoing projects and initiatives, please follow its social media LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube.

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