Elisabeth Kohls1, Evelien Coppens2, Juliane Hug3, Eline Wittevrongel2, Chantal Van Audenhove2, Nicole Koburger4, Ella Arensman5, András Székely6, Ricardo Gusmão7, Ulrich Hegerl8. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD), Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: Elisabeth.Kohls@medizin.uni-leipzig.de. 2. LUCAS Center for Care Research and Consultancy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 3. Depression Research Centre, German Depression Foundation, Leipzig, Germany; European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD), Leipzig, Germany. 4. Depression Research Centre, German Depression Foundation, Leipzig, Germany. 5. National Suicide Research Foundation and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork, Ireland. 6. Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. 7. Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto (ISPUP), Porto, Portugal. 8. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Depression Research Centre, German Depression Foundation, Leipzig, Germany; European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD), Leipzig, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Public attitudes toward depression and help-seeking behaviour are important factors influencing depressed people to obtain professional help and adequate treatment. OSPI-Europe is a multi-level suicide prevention programme including a public awareness campaign. It was implemented in four regions of four European countries (Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Portugal). This paper reports the results of the evaluation of the campaign, including its visibility and effects of the campaign on stigma associated with depression and help-seeking behaviour. METHODS: A representative general population survey (N=4004) including measures on personal stigma, perceived stigma, openness to help, perceived value of help, and socio-demographic variables was conducted in the four intervention and four control regions in a cross-sectional pre-post design. RESULTS: The public awareness campaign was considerably more visible in Germany and Portugal compared to Ireland and Hungary. Visibility was further affected by age and years of schooling. Personal stigma, perceived stigma and openness toward professional help varied significantly across the four countries. Respondents in the intervention regions showed significantly less personal depression stigma than respondents in the control regions after the campaign. Respondents of the intervention region who were aware of the campaign reported more openness toward seeking professional help than respondents who were unaware of it. CONCLUSION: The OSPI-Europe awareness campaign was visible and produced some positive results. At the same time, it proved to be difficult to show strong, measurable and unambiguous effects, which is in line with previous studies. Public awareness campaigns as conducted within OSPI-Europe can contribute to improved attitudes and knowledge about depression in the general public and produce synergistic effects, in particular when the dissemination of awareness campaign materials is simultaneously reinforced by other intervention levels of a multi-level intervention programme. LIMITATIONS: The survey was cross-sectional and based on self-report, so no causal inferences could be drawn.
BACKGROUND: Public attitudes toward depression and help-seeking behaviour are important factors influencing depressed people to obtain professional help and adequate treatment. OSPI-Europe is a multi-level suicide prevention programme including a public awareness campaign. It was implemented in four regions of four European countries (Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Portugal). This paper reports the results of the evaluation of the campaign, including its visibility and effects of the campaign on stigma associated with depression and help-seeking behaviour. METHODS: A representative general population survey (N=4004) including measures on personal stigma, perceived stigma, openness to help, perceived value of help, and socio-demographic variables was conducted in the four intervention and four control regions in a cross-sectional pre-post design. RESULTS: The public awareness campaign was considerably more visible in Germany and Portugal compared to Ireland and Hungary. Visibility was further affected by age and years of schooling. Personal stigma, perceived stigma and openness toward professional help varied significantly across the four countries. Respondents in the intervention regions showed significantly less personal depression stigma than respondents in the control regions after the campaign. Respondents of the intervention region who were aware of the campaign reported more openness toward seeking professional help than respondents who were unaware of it. CONCLUSION: The OSPI-Europe awareness campaign was visible and produced some positive results. At the same time, it proved to be difficult to show strong, measurable and unambiguous effects, which is in line with previous studies. Public awareness campaigns as conducted within OSPI-Europe can contribute to improved attitudes and knowledge about depression in the general public and produce synergistic effects, in particular when the dissemination of awareness campaign materials is simultaneously reinforced by other intervention levels of a multi-level intervention programme. LIMITATIONS: The survey was cross-sectional and based on self-report, so no causal inferences could be drawn.
Authors: John R Kelly; Mary Cosgrove; Cian Judd; Kathy Scott; Aoibheann Mc Loughlin; Veronica O'Keane Journal: Ir J Med Sci Date: 2019-04-02 Impact factor: 1.568
Authors: Mareike Dreier; Julia Ludwig; Martin Härter; Olaf von dem Knesebeck; Johanna Baumgardt; Thomas Bock; Jörg Dirmaier; Alison J Kennedy; Susan A Brumby; Sarah Liebherz Journal: BMC Psychiatry Date: 2019-05-17 Impact factor: 3.630