Controlled Study of the Impact of a Virtual Program to Reduce Stigma Among University Students Toward People With Mental Disorders

Abstract

Stigma toward mental disorders is one of today's most pressing global issues. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the barriers to social inclusion faced by individuals with mental disorders. Concurrently, stigma reduction interventions, especially those aimed at university students, have been more difficult to implement given social distancing and campus closures. As a result, alternative delivery for programs contributing to stigma reduction is required, such as online implementation. This paper reports the results of a controlled study focused on an online multi-component program on reducing stigma toward mental illness that included project-based learning, clinical simulations with standardized patients and E-Contact with real patients. A total of 40 undergraduate students from the Universidad del Desarrollo in Santiago, Chile, participated in the study. They were randomly divided between an intervention and control group. The intervention group participated in the online multi-component program, while the control group participated in an online educational program on cardiovascular health. We assessed the impact of the program by using the validated Spanish-language versions of the Attribution Questionnaire AQ-27 and the Questionnaire on Student Attitudes toward Schizophrenia with both groups, before and after the intervention. In addition, an ad hoc Likert scale ranging from 0 to 5 was used with the intervention group in order to assess the learning strategies implemented. Following the intervention, the participants belonging to the intervention group displayed significantly lower levels of stereotypes, perception of dangerousness, and global score toward people with schizophrenia (p < 0.001). In addition, participants presented lower levels of dangerousness-fear, avoidance, coercion, lack of solidarity, and global score (p < 0.001). The control group displayed no statistically significant differences in the level of stigma before and after the evaluation, for all of the items assessed. Finally, the overall assessment of each of the components of the program was highly positive. In conclusion, the study shows that online programs can contribute to reducing stigma toward mental disorders. The program assessed in this study had a positive impact on all the dimensions of stigma and all of the components of the program itself were positively evaluated by the participants.

Depression and suicidal ideation in Mexican medical students during COVID-19 outbreak. A longitudinal study

“…The stigma towards mental disorders is one of the most urgent global problems of today ( Rodrí guez-Rivas et al., 2021 ) that generate high levels of social exclusion ( Thornicroft et al., 2007 ) and low quality of life ( Corrigan and Shapiro, 2010 ) that generate feelings of shame and guilt in those affected and worsen depressive symptoms and a high prevalence of suicidal ideation and behaviors is associated. Because medical students have high levels of stigma, this not only affects them, but also determines the care they give to patients affected by mental illness ( Rodríguez-Rivas, 2021 ).…”

The magnitude and correlates of internalized stigma among people with mental illness attending the outpatient department of Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“…Considering the current global covid-19 pandemic, interventions that can be applied given social distancing are vital. In this regard, a controlled study conducted on the effectiveness of an online multi-component program in reducing stigma toward mental illness found that online programs can play a role in reducing stigma toward mental disorders [ 36 ].…”

Innovative Technology–Based Interventions to Reduce Stigma Toward People With Mental Illness: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…As 3 of the studies included more than 1 scale that assessed levels of stigma [ 11 , 22 , 31 ], we conducted an analysis that combined them into a single effect size. In those cases, we followed the methodology suggestion for complex data structures [ 30 ].…”

“…Although direct face-to-face contact with people with mental illness has been shown to be a key component of successful stigma reduction programs, their implementation in virtual learning and innovative spaces is recent [ 10 ]. In the last years, several authors have shown that innovative technology-based interventions have had a great impact on the reduction of stigma toward people with mental illness, mainly due to its adaptability to different contexts and age ranges [ 11 ]. Among this type of interventions, the use of video games has been highlighted as an effective tool to reduce anxious and depressive symptomatology in patients, and has been useful to reduce misconceptions and stigmatization about severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder [ 12 , 13 ].…”

“…Finally, as an innovative intervention, electronic contact (e-contact)—defined as “computer-mediated real-time interactions where members of different groups interact online” through virtual media with mental health services users [ 20 ]—has been used as a strategy for promoting awareness and reducing prejudice among ideologically different groups [ 21 ]. However, e-contact implementation in the field of stigma reduction is new and innovative, and it has been demonstrated that e-contact using chat and synchronous videoconferencing can reduce anxiety, stigma, and stereotypes toward the population impacted by mental disorders, and promote an inclusive attitude [ 11 , 22 ].…”