AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness in reducing social stigma of an intervention and to assess the influence of gender and knowledge. METHODS: The program consisted in providing information and contact with users of mental health in order to reduce social stigma in the school environment. A total of 62 secondary school students (age 14-16 years) were evaluated with the Opinions on Mental Illness (OMI) questionnaire before and after the intervention. The subscales of the OMI were: authoritarianism, interpersonal etiology, benevolence, restrictiveness and negativism. The analysis was performed over the total sample, separating by gender and knowledge of someone with a mental disorder. t-test for repeated measures was used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: All the OMI subscales showed a significant change after the intervention (P < 0.001), except for benevolence. Women presented significant changes in the subscales of authoritarianism and restrictiveness, while men presented changes in negativism and interpersonal etiology rather than restrictiveness (P < 0.001-0.003). Students that knew someone with a mental disorder presented significant changes in authoritarianism, interpersonal etiology, and negativism (P < 0.001-0.003) and students that do not know anyone with a mental disorder improved in restrictiveness and authoritarianism (P < 0.001-0.001). In all the subscales of the instrument the students improved their perception of mental disorders, reducing their levels of stigma. CONCLUSION: The intervention designed to reduce social stigma was effective, especially in the area of authoritarianism. The whole sample showed improved attitudes towards mental illness, although the areas were different depending on gender and knowledge.
AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness in reducing social stigma of an intervention and to assess the influence of gender and knowledge. METHODS: The program consisted in providing information and contact with users of mental health in order to reduce social stigma in the school environment. A total of 62 secondary school students (age 14-16 years) were evaluated with the Opinions on Mental Illness (OMI) questionnaire before and after the intervention. The subscales of the OMI were: authoritarianism, interpersonal etiology, benevolence, restrictiveness and negativism. The analysis was performed over the total sample, separating by gender and knowledge of someone with a mental disorder. t-test for repeated measures was used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: All the OMI subscales showed a significant change after the intervention (P < 0.001), except for benevolence. Women presented significant changes in the subscales of authoritarianism and restrictiveness, while men presented changes in negativism and interpersonal etiology rather than restrictiveness (P < 0.001-0.003). Students that knew someone with a mental disorder presented significant changes in authoritarianism, interpersonal etiology, and negativism (P < 0.001-0.003) and students that do not know anyone with a mental disorder improved in restrictiveness and authoritarianism (P < 0.001-0.001). In all the subscales of the instrument the students improved their perception of mental disorders, reducing their levels of stigma. CONCLUSION: The intervention designed to reduce social stigma was effective, especially in the area of authoritarianism. The whole sample showed improved attitudes towards mental illness, although the areas were different depending on gender and knowledge.
Authors: Amy C Watson; Emeline Otey; Anne L Westbrook; April L Gardner; Theodore A Lamb; Patrick W Corrigan; Wayne S Fenton Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2004 Impact factor: 9.306
Authors: Sarah Clement; Adrienne van Nieuwenhuizen; Aliya Kassam; Clare Flach; Anisha Lazarus; Melanie de Castro; Paul McCrone; Ian Norman; Graham Thornicroft Journal: Br J Psychiatry Date: 2011-12-08 Impact factor: 9.319
Authors: Eunice C Wong; Rebecca L Collins; Jennifer L Cerully; Jennifer W Yu; Rachana Seelam Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2017-12-02 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Luísa Campos; Pedro Dias; Ana Duarte; Elisa Veiga; Cláudia Camila Dias; Filipa Palha Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2018-07-06 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Mª Carmen Castillejos Anguiano; Antonio Bordallo Aragón; David Aguilera Fernández; Berta Moreno Küstner Journal: Int J Ment Health Syst Date: 2019-04-13