Interventions to decrease health students' stigma toward schizophrenia: A scoping review.

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Medical Education
• Stigma Reduction

Background:

• Schizophrenia carries a significant stigma within the healthcare professional community.
• Health professional students are future caregivers, making stigma reduction crucial for this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize existing literature on interventions designed to decrease schizophrenia stigma among health professional students.
• To identify gaps in current research regarding schizophrenia stigma interventions for this population.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review was conducted, searching nine electronic databases and gray literature up to May 2024.
• Data screening, extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by two researchers.
• Narrative synthesis and analysis were employed, adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one studies involving 2520 health professional students were included, predominantly from the United States, with medical students being the most common participants.
• Interventions varied in duration and format, often led by faculty or individuals with lived experience, but lacked follow-up in most cases.
• While most interventions aimed to reduce stigma, only two studies reported ineffectiveness, and significant heterogeneity and risk of bias were noted across studies.

Conclusions:

• Most interventions employed educational approaches or direct contact with individuals with schizophrenia.
• A critical gap exists as no interventions addressed cultural nuances or empathy factors.
• The lack of theoretical grounding and high risk of bias in existing studies limit comprehensive understanding and highlight the need for improved research designs.