Danish program takes on mental illness stigma.

Denmark's One of Us program trains people with mental health challenges to speak about recovery in schools, hospitals and police stations; a 2025 survey found large immediate shifts in health workers' readiness to care for patients, but long-term effects remain undetermined.

Denmark has expanded a grassroots anti-stigma initiative, called One of Us, into a national program that uses people with mental health challenges as ambassadors who share recovery-focused stories. The initiative places ambassadors in settings such as schools, hospitals and police academies to give professionals and the public direct social contact with people who have lived experience. Officials and researchers say stigma remains widespread and that social contact may reduce stereotypes more effectively than education alone. Key points: - One of Us trains and deploys ambassadors with lived mental health experience to speak publicly about recovery and discrimination. - Ambassadors have spoken in hospitals, police training, schools and medical programs to give audiences direct contact and personal accounts. - A 2025 survey of 181 health care workers cited by evaluators found that 98 percent felt somewhat or much better prepared after meetings with ambassadors and 89 percent expected to change their behavior to be less stigmatizing. - The program has not yet produced evidence that these immediate attitude shifts persist over time, and ambassadors report the work can be emotionally demanding. Summary: The program has produced measurable short-term changes among some gatekeepers, particularly health workers, and aims to replace stereotypes with personal accounts of recovery. Undetermined at this time.