The WPA Programme in Canada ran prior to the global roll-out of the anti-stigma campaign in order to design proper materials, construct study instruments, and gain experience with a range of interventions and their results. The development of a programme in Alberta, Canada helped formulate the rationale for the establishment of a Local Action Group, general methodology for the campaign, instruments to use, specific populations to target, and intervention strategies. These processes as well as results and lessons learned (including mistakes made) can be beneficial to others developing similar anti-stigma programmes.
     Several permanent achievements and policy changes can be attributed to the Alberta programme. Measured results include those obtained from small focussed interventions aimed at High School students emphasizing personal contact with volunteer consumers and family advocates, broad population-based interventions, and with the media. Finally, the Canadian effort produced valuable knowledge about the complexity of stigma, the importance of multi-faceted interventions, the need to maintain a steady campaign in order to quantify positive impacts, and the challenges ahead.

Contact information
Dr. Ruth Dickson
Peter Lougheed Centre
3500-26 Ave NE
Calgary, AB T1Y6J4
FAX: 403/219-0458

Local Action Group
J. J. Arbóleda-Florez
H. Stuart
D. Warner
R. Dickson
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