Evaluation of Antistigma Interventions With Sixth-Grade Students: A School-Based Field Experiment

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• School-based interventions offer a unique setting to address mental illness stigma in preadolescents before it becomes ingrained.
• Early intervention can potentially reduce mental illness stigma across the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of classroom-based interventions in reducing stigma among sixth-grade students.
• To assess the impact of interventions on mental illness understanding and positive attitudes toward seeking treatment.

Main Methods:

• A diverse sample of 721 sixth graders participated in a study involving a PowerPoint curriculum, peer contact, and printed materials.
• Classrooms were randomly assigned to receive one, two, or none of the interventions.
• Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured mental health knowledge, attitudes, social distance, and help-seeking behaviors.

Main Results:

• Printed materials alone did not significantly impact outcomes.
• The curriculum-only intervention group showed significantly improved outcomes in stigma awareness, recognition of mental illness, and treatment orientation compared to the control group.
• The peer contact intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in three vignette-based measures.

Conclusions:

• A classroom-based curriculum is a promising intervention for reducing mental illness stigma in preadolescents.
• This curriculum is easily disseminated and delivered by teachers, suggesting potential for broad population-level application.
• Targeting stigma in schools can foster greater understanding and positive attitudes toward mental health treatment.