Time to Change launches online mental health videos

LONDON - Mental health campaign Time to Change has launched two new online viral videos aimed at challenging the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Both films tackle the misconception that people diagnosed with schizophrenia are likely to be violent, and have been seeded onto video sharing sites to target the 'YouTube generation'.

The first film, 'Schizo', is filmed by advertising studios Steam Media, with special effects from MPC -- which worked on the latest Harry Potter film.

It begins as a trailer for a horror movie with a shot in a dark corridor leading to a frosted glass door, but when the door opens it reveals a man diagnosed with schizophrenia, Stuart Baker-Brown, who explains that he is often discriminated against as people think he is dangerous.

The second film, 'Kids' Party', has the title 'Schizophrenic man terrifies kids at party', and shows a normal children’s party with Baker-Brown scaring the children with a giant spider made out of balloons. 

As well as video viral sites the videos will be available on Yahoo, MSN, Facebook, and websites for The Mirror, The Sun and Daily Mail, with Time to Change claiming it is following in the footsteps of mainstream films using online media to gain publicity.

The campaign to end mental health discrimination is run by mental health charities Mind and Rethink, and backed by £16m from the Big Lottery Fund and £4m from Comic Relief .

Sue Baker, director of Time to Change, said: "Both films have been designed to attract members of the public who don’t realize they are causing stigma and discrimination.

"Evidence shows that provocative films make a big difference to attitudes and both films will go a long way to reducing the stigma associated with mental health problems."

Baker-Brown, star of the films, said: "As someone with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and someone who has experienced stigma and discrimination first hand, I relished the chance to get involved with the campaign film as a real opportunity to help change attitudes."

 

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