A Life of their Own: Reflections on Autonomy and Ethics in Research-Based Theatre

Abstract

Although the stigma surrounding mental illness is often invisible, its effects are profound. As Heather Stuart (Bell Mental Health and Anti Stigma Research Chair at Queen’s University, Canada) recently stated, ‘Not a week goes by that I don’t hear a person with a mental illness tell me she or he wished they had had cancer because it is more acceptable. That breaks my heart.’¹ Recognising that stigmatisation and the fear of stigmatisation often stop people with mental illness from seeking help, the issue has become a priority for governments and private organisa tions alike. A first step in dealing with the issue is to make stigma more visible both within the public realm and within the health care system itself. Stigma is embedded in beliefs, values and policies but it also shapes the way that health care providers care for those with mental illness. It makes effective care more difficult to obtain, no matter how much funding mental health attracts or how deeply committed the health care system is to finding solutions.