1. Time Waits for No One: Longitudinal Study on the Effects of an Anti-Stigma Seminar on the Psychology Student Population
- Author
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Alessandro Musetti, Maria Filosa, Tommaso Manari, Sara Evans-Lacko, Sandra Coriani, Silvia Ferrari, Luca Pingani, Anna Maria Nasi, Gian Maria Galeazzi, Mattia Lorenzini, and Christian Franceschini
- Subjects
Longitudinal study ,stereotypes ,BF Psychology ,One year follow up ,Attitude of Health Personnel ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Social Stigma ,Stigma (botany) ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Mentally Ill Persons ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,medicine ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Students ,social and political issues ,Student population ,Mental Disorders ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Mean age ,Mental illness ,medicine.disease ,Mental health ,030227 psychiatry ,mental illness stigma ,Mental health care ,Medicine ,Female ,Discrimination ,Mental illness stigma ,Social and political issues ,Stereotypes ,Psychology ,Clinical psychology ,discrimination - Abstract
The primary aim is to describe the changes in the knowledge of mental health conditions, the attitudes toward the mentally ill, and the intended behaviour towards people with mental illness among the entire student population of the third year of a degree course in Psychology. A total of 570 students attended a seminar on stigma towards mental illness and were invited to complete an online survey which collected data on sociodemographic characteristics and three validated questionnaires evaluating different aspects of stigma at three different time points (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at one year follow up). A total of 253 students (44.39%) completed the questionnaires at t0, t1, and t2. The mean age of the sample was 23.7 (SD = ±5.89), and 86.96% (n = 220) were females. Between t0 and t1, a statistically significant improvement was observed for all three outcomes, while the intended behaviour outcome was no longer significant between t1 and t2 (Z = −0.70, p = 0.48). Females and who participated live at the seminar maintained a significant knowledge of mental illness and a better attitude toward community mental health care. The effects of the seminar focused on reducing stigma tended to diminish over time at one year follow-up, particular in relation to intended behaviour.
- Published
- 2021