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The Disability Rights Commission has completed its 18-month investigation into physical health inequalities experienced by people with mental health problems and those with learning disabilities. Liz Sayce and Joanna Owen unveil the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joanna Owen and Liz Sayce unveil the results of the Disability Rights Commission's (DRC) 18-month formal investigation into the physical health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities and/or mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Many anti-stigma programmes use the 'mental illness is an illness like any other' approach. This review evaluates the effectiveness of this approach in relation to schizophrenia. Method: The academic literature was searched, via PsycINFO and MEDLINE, to identify peer-reviewed studies addressing whether public espousal of a biogenetic paradigm has increased over time, and whether biogenetic causal beliefs and diagnostic labelling are associated with less negative attitudes. Results: The public, internationally, continues to prefer psychosocial to biogenetic explanations and treatments for schizophrenia. Biogenetic causal theories and diagnostic labelling as 'illness', are both positively related to perceptions of dangerousness and unpredictability, and to fear and desire for social distance. Conclusion: An evidence-based approach to reducing discrimination would seek a range of alternatives to the 'mental illness is an illness like any other' approach, based on enhanced understanding, from multidisciplinary research, of the causes of prejudice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]