Stigma has a negative effect on people with mental health and substance use problems worldwide and is a significant barrier to getting appropriate care.
Stigma can lead to:
• difficulty accessing resources and services, such as employment and housing;
• social isolation due to exclusion from activities; and
• low levels of health service utilization.

Stigma against people with mental health and substance use problems in healthcare settings is a public health issue. A pilot project, for which this current initiative was based, set out to develop an anti-stigma intervention for primary care staff. With the guidance of staff and service users at three CHCs in Toronto, a five-pronged intervention was developed.