The National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the
Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which we live, work and learn.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website contains images or names of people who have passed away
National symposium on stigma and discrimination reduction
The National Mental Health Commission (the Commission) has funded the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne to deliver the 2026 Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Symposium.
Date published:
The symposium will be held on 14 September and delivered in a hybrid format, in-person in Melbourne and online.
The event will bring together people to share different views on how stigma and discrimination affect individuals, communities and systems, and to discuss solutions and priorities.
It will also share proven and new ways to build more inclusive communities.
People with lived and living experiences of mental health challenges and their supporters will play a central role.
It will create a space for sharing knowledge, working together, and driving change to help reduce mental health stigma and discrimination in Australia.
CEO David McGrath said, “By learning from each other, we can help create communities where everyone feels included.”
“The symposium reinforces the National Mental Health Commission’s leadership role in driving collaboration to reduce stigma and discrimination and improve outcomes for people experiencing mental health challenges.”
The symposium is guided by a Steering Group comprising representatives from government,
research, lived experience peak bodies, and mental health sector organisations.
The Commission acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which we live, work and learn.
Diversity
The Commission is committed to embracing diversity and eliminating all forms of discrimination in the provision of health services. The Commission welcomes all people irrespective of ethnicity, lifestyle choice, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Lived Experience
We acknowledge the individual and collective contributions of those with a lived and living experience of mental ill-health and suicide, and those who love, have loved and care for them. Each person’s journey is unique and a valued contribution to Australia’s commitment to mental health suicide prevention systems reform.
