Brief Article
Copyright ©2013 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatr. Jun 22, 2013; 3(2): 18-24
Published online Jun 22, 2013. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v3.i2.18
Intervention for reducing stigma: Assessing the influence of gender and knowledge
Francisco Martínez-Zambrano, Esther García-Morales, Mar García-Franco, Jose Miguel, Raul Villellas, Gemma Pascual, Otilia Arenas, Susana Ochoa
Francisco Martínez-Zambrano, Esther García-Morales, Mar García-Franco, Raul Villellas, Psychosocial Rehabilitation Service El Prat, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, El Prat de Llobregat, 08918 Barcelona, Spain
Jose Miguel, Gemma Pascual, Mental Health Center El Prat, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, 08918 Barcelona, Spain
Otilia Arenas, Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services of Baix Llobregat, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, 08918 Barcelona, Spain
Susana Ochoa, Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, 08918 Barcelona, Spain
Author contributions: Martínez-Zambrano F and Ochoa S analysed the data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript; all authors performed the intervention in the schools and had contributed to editing the manuscript.
Supported by The Spanish Ministry of Health, CIBERSAM
Correspondence to: Dr. Susana Ochoa, Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi, 08918 Barcelona, Spain. sochoa@pssjd.org
Telephone: +34-93-6406350 Fax: +34-93-5569674
Received: February 20, 2013
Revised: April 10, 2013
Accepted: April 17, 2013
Published online: June 22, 2013
Processing time: 118 Days and 23.5 Hours
Abstract

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.

Keywords: Mental disorders, Stigma, Intervention, Contact, Information, Schizophrenia, Schools

Core tip: Stigma towards people with mental disorder is one of the most important facts that should be assessed in order to improve their integration to community. Interventions addressed to reduce their stigma should be necessary, especially in adolescents. Assess the influence of gender and previous knowledge of a people with a mental disorder could be interesting for addressing the interventions designed.