The first module examines the prevalence of co-occurring mental health and AOD conditions and explores how stigma manifests across both contexts. It builds from foundational definitions and current research to enhance your knowledge and understanding of these issues.

The second module (Module 7: Addressing stigma in mental health and addiction care) explores various types of stigma, investigates its impact at individual, interpersonal, and service levels, and presents practical strategies to address stigma. Through real-life case examples, this module provides opportunities to apply your learning in practical settings.

To gain a full understanding of the role stigma plays in mental health and addiction care and to discover effective strategies for creating more inclusive services, it is important to engage with both companion modules.

Module duration: Approximately 40 minutes (self-paced; progress is saved for convenience)

Learning objectives

This module is broken down into three lessons addressing the following learning objectives:

• Understand the prevalence of co-occurring conditions.

• Understand the stigma associated with addiction and mental health conditions.

• Recognise the components of stigma.

Why this matters

People experiencing co-occurring mental health and AOD conditions often encounter 'double stigma' – the combined negative perceptions and stereotypes attached to each condition, which can create significant barriers to accessing and receiving quality treatment.

Research indicates that integrated care offering a welcoming, hopeful, timely and coordinated approach that simultaneously addresses both mental health and addiction concerns leads to improved engagement and recovery outcomes.

Understanding stigma is a key component of creating compassionate, inclusive healthcare environments that better suit the needs of everyone, including those with co-occurring conditions.