encouraging signs can be seen however in the hjarnkoll antistigma initiative as a study found that improvements have been measured between and for example opinions have improved visavis the public view of having a person with a mental illness as a neighbour and one for every two people initially expressing disfavour have changed their opinion the number of psychiatric beds per population has been cut in half during the past two decades decreasing from in to in increased funding for outpatient services can assist in explaining this decline