This study examined the efficacy of a Photovoice‐based video as a novel online anti‐stigma video in reducing mental illness stigma, as well as the role of empathic concern in stigma reduction. Photovoice is a grassroots process by which members of a marginalized group, such as people with a mental illness, document and convey their experience; in this study’s context, the experience of living with a mental illness and the stigma associated with this experience. Canadian undergraduate university students (n = 303; average age = 21) were randomly assigned to view either a Photovoice‐based anti‐stigma intervention video (n = 156) or a control video (n = 147). Compared to the control condition, the Photovoice‐based video was efficacious in reducing mental illness stigma, including reduced fear and anger toward people with a mental illness, decreased perceptions of dangerousness, and decreased desired social distance. In addition, the intervention was efficacious in maintaining reduced desired social distance relative to the control at 1‐month post‐intervention. Finally, empathic concern was found to mediate the relationship between the Photovoice‐based video and reduced mental illness stigma, suggesting that one way the intervention reduced mental illness stigma was by eliciting empathy in the viewer.
Mental illness stigma is a common problem in healthcare students and professionals in addition to the general public. Stigma is associated with numerous negative outcomes and hence there is an urgent need to address it. This article explores the potential for interprofessional education (IPE) to emerge as a strategy to reduce mental illness stigma amongst healthcare students and professionals. Most anti-stigma strategies use a combination of knowledge and contact (with a person with lived experience) to change attitudes towards mental illness. Not surprisingly interprofessional educators are well acquainted with theory and learning approaches for attitude change as they are already used in IPE to address learners' attitudes and perceptions of themselves, other professions, and/or teamwork. This article, through an analysis of IPE pedagogy and learning methods, identifies opportunities to address mental illness stigma with application of the conditions that facilitate stigma reduction. The goal of this article is to raise awareness of the issue of mental illness stigma amongst healthcare students and professionals and to highlight interprofessional education as an untapped opportunity for change.
Analysis of calls made to a northern Canadian Inuit crisis line in the territory of Nunavut between 1991 and 2001 revealed that the majority of users were adult females who called to discuss problems primarily related to relationships and loneliness/boredom. Younger callers tended to make prank calls. The volunteer staff used mostly empathetic listening and suggestions. Referral recommendations made were primarily to social services. Although some callers experienced a language barrier, others found the service to be helpful. Results suggest that the crisis line was underused by young Inuit males who represent a group that are most in need of crisis intervention.
Self-care as an ethical imperative for psychologists necessitates a continuous, proactive engagement in behaviours that promote psychological, emotional, and physical wellness. Graduate training programs have an ethical obligation to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to practice ethically and competently; there is, however, a considerable lack of emphasis on self-care in graduate programs as well as in the profession as a whole. This article reviews principles relating to self-care from the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, particularly the principles of Responsible Caring and Integrity in Relationships. The professional psychology training context is described as it relates to self-care, with a review of the training literature and accreditation standards. Given the lack of systematic training in self-care currently provided by professional psychology training programs, it is suggested that programs conceptualise self-care beyond impairment, view self-care as a competency to be taught and practiced, and integrate training opportunities across the spectrums of training and professional practice.
A number of initiatives are aimed at reducing mental illness stigma, yet stigma remains a problem in the general population. A focus on stigma reduction with students is particularly relevant, as students often hold negative attitudes toward mental illness, have regular contact with persons experiencing mental health difficulties, and because stigma influences students' own help-seeking attitudes and behaviors. The psychology classroom presents an ideal opportunity to address stigma, since many courses include mental health-related topics and are taken by large numbers of students from diverse fields. This paper undertook a review of the published literature to determine the extent that knowledge and/or contactbased strategies to address stigma were implemented in the psychology classroom; successful interventions are described and contextualized within the larger stigma reduction literature. Recommendations for instructors who are interested in integrating an anti-stigma approach in their classroom include (1) consider a social contact-based approach, (2) look locally for resources, (3) be familiar with optimal conditions for contact, and (4) evaluate your outcomes.
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