Can stigmatizing attitudes be prevented in psychology students?

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Stigmatizing attitudes are increasingly prevalent among psychology students.
• Previous research indicates a growing trend in these attitudes over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of clinical psychology lessons on reducing stigmatization in psychology students.
• To assess changes in stigmatizing attitudes following the intervention.

Main Methods:

• A pre/post evaluation design was employed to assess the effectiveness of 63 hours of clinical psychology lectures.
• The Italian version of the Attribution Questionnaire-27 (AQ-27-I) was used to measure stigmatizing attitudes.
• Structured equation modeling (SEM) analyzed changes in stigma before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant reduction in stigmatizing attitudes was observed across all six AQ-27-I scales and the total score.
• SEM analysis demonstrated excellent model fit, revealing distinct dynamics of stigma pre- and post-intervention.
• Out of 387 students contacted, 266 completed the study, representing a robust sample size.

Conclusions:

• A structured program of clinical psychology lessons is an effective method for decreasing stigmatizing attitudes.
• This educational intervention shows promise for fostering more accepting attitudes within psychology student populations.