The stigma surrounding mental health remains one of the greatest barriers to treatment and wellbeing. Despite growing awareness, too many people still face discrimination, misinformation, or silence. At Lundbeck, we believe it is essential to improve care, quality of life, equity – and to challenge stigma wherever it appears

Mental health disorders touch nearly every family and community, making
them one of the most pressing health challenges of our time.

At the same time, stigma remains widespread — across media, workplaces, communities, and even health systems.

Stigma appears in many forms:

• Public stigma – negative societal attitudes or stereotypes about people with mental health disorders
• Institutional stigma – policies or laws that disadvantage or discriminate against people living with mental illness
• Self-stigma – when individuals internalize societal stereotypes, impacting their own self-esteem and willingness to seek help

Each of these forms of stigma limits opportunity, discourages help-seeking, and reinforces damaging stereotypes. In many cases, people choose to suffer in silence rather than risk rejection or misunderstanding.

The effects of stigma are wide-reaching:

King’s College London found that stigma is one of the top reasons people avoid or delay seeking mental health care.⁵ The consequences are severe: delayed treatment, social isolation, and worsened health outcomes. In a 2022 study published by The Lancet Commission on Ending Stigma, 8 out of 10 people surveyed reported that stigma and discrimination were worse than the mental health condition itself.⁶

Research shows that direct contact with people with lived experience is one of the most effective ways to reduce stigma. Campaigns that center lived experience stories – and invite open, empathetic conversations – have been shown to shift attitudes and promote help-seeking behavior.

Involving people with lived experience in the design and delivery of mental health programs is not only respectful – it leads to better results.

Progress in mental health depends on sustained investment, stronger integration of mental and physical health, and the inclusion of lived experience in shaping care and research. Continued collaboration across sectors — from policymakers to advocacy groups to industry — is vital to reducing stigma and improving outcomes.

At Lundbeck, we remain committed to supporting mental health, even as our portfolio increasingly focuses on neuro-rare and neuro-specialty conditions. We continue to build on our legacy in psychiatry and to contribute to awareness, education, and stigma-reduction efforts worldwide.

Our purpose is to improve brain health for the benefit of patients, people, and society. Because mental health is foundational to brain health, we will continue to support progress in care and challenge stigma — and thereby hopefully contribute to creating a future where mental health is treated with the same urgency and equity as physical health.