Thank you Peter. Tena koe and good evening everyone. Thank you for inviting me to tonight's event.

The book being launched tonight is a great example of what can be achieved when organisations with similar interests collaborate - the Mental Health Foundation, the Mental Health Commission, the Ministry of Health through Like Minds, Like Mine and The Building Bridges Trust all contributed funding to publishing "Stepping out of the Shadows."

I'd also like to acknowledge the editors, Debbie Peterson, Researcher from the Mental Health Commission and Sarah Gordon, Managing Director of Case Consulting. Case Consulting is a mental health organisation staffed and managed by people with experience of mental illness, and I know there are many people from the organisation here tonight.

And of course I would like to pay tribute to the authors. A number of the authors have personally experienced mental illness and I'd like to commend them for the brilliant way in which they have each presented their story.

Mental illness is a life altering event and for many can be life-defining. To tell the story of how you have battled with not just the illness but also the barriers of stigma and discrimination is courageous, not to mention inspiring for others who are undergoing similar experiences.

As a country our attitudes towards mental illness have improved in recent years, thanks in many ways to campaigns such as Like Minds, Like Mine.  We know from research that Like Minds has been successful in changing attitudes and behaviour, changing media coverage and also the fact that people are now more willing to talk about mental illness.

More importantly Like Minds has encouraged people to support each other, to step forward and make a difference. This has meant openly discussing through the media and in our communities the fears and misconceptions that people have about mental illness.

In the twelve years since the inception of the programme New Zealanders have learnt much about how we can effectively address the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness.

We have learnt that the approach we have taken has worked. The combination of a mass media campaign and grass roots community programmes based on direct contact with people who have experienced mental illness, has meant that people know more about mental illness and about the role that they can play in the recovery of others.

But we can never take for granted that the battle against discrimination has been won, and it is vital that people continue to speak out. This book is therefore a testament to the courage and honesty of those who are prepared to share their stories in this book in order to advance society's understanding of mental illness.

Self stigma is the general theme of the book being launched tonight. I am told that in the development of the Like Minds Like Mine National Plan (2007 - 13) the programme looked to address not just the stigma and discrimination that existed in society but also the issue of how these prevailing negative attitudes are internalised by people themselves experiencing mental illness.  The Plan encouraged people to start thinking about the difficult issue of self-stigma and how to address it.

The main effect of self-stigma on people's lives is the limiting of potential. They believe they are not good enough, they are not normal, they are hopeless and without potential, and that they will never recover. What's more, discrimination from others often triggers or exacerbates self stigma.

What this book tells us is that self-stigma can be combated. The experiences of the research participants illustrate how the circuit breakers can, and do, interrupt the cycle of stigma and discrimination. They highlight the importance of peer support, challenging behaviours and attitudes, and developing recovery-oriented strategies.

Stepping out of the Shadows builds on the notion that there is value in sharing stories of recovery from mental illness. This ambitious book brings together a collection of brave and honest accounts of mental illness and recovery. They describe how society's stigma can be turned inwards and the damage it can do to self esteem and self confidence. The authors also share the ways they have overcome their own self stigma.

As many of the contributors note, having a sense of hope is incredibly important for the person experiencing mental illness and also for those close to them. "Stepping out of the shadows" will help provide that sense of hope, as the book's research shows that self stigma is part of a cycle which can be broken through various interventions at each stage of the cycle.

These are honest accounts of personal struggle, but these are also uplifting stories of survival and recovery. They are personal accounts of people overcoming barriers in their recovery. Barriers imposed by society, by people around them, and perhaps most difficult of all barriers placed by the individuals themselves. The stories are inspirational and give hope to all those affected by mental illness.

I hope that in the future people with mental illness will be able to live totally free of stigma, from whatever source. As Bill Clinton said "Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all."