The peer-led Honest, Open, Proud program to decrease the impact of mental illness stigma among German military...

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Military Psychology
• Stigma Reduction Interventions

Background:

• Military servicemembers with mental illness face significant stigma, leading to discrimination and reluctance in disclosing their condition.
• Stigma impacts self-perception, help-seeking behaviors, and overall quality of life within the military community.
• There is a need for effective interventions to mitigate the effects of stigma on military personnel's mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the Honest, Open, Proud (HOP) program in the German military.
• To assess HOP's impact on disclosure decisions and reducing stigma among military personnel with mental illness.
• To determine if a peer-led group program can effectively support servicemembers in managing mental health challenges.

Main Methods:

• A randomized-controlled trial involving 99 active servicemembers with mental illness.
• Participants were assigned to either the HOP program plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone.
• Primary endpoints included stigma stress and psychological quality of life, measured at specific follow-up points.

Main Results:

• The HOP group showed a significant decrease in stigma stress compared to the control group.
• No significant effect of HOP was observed on psychological quality of life at the primary endpoint.
• Significant positive effects were noted for secondary outcomes including overall quality of life, self-stigma, depressive symptoms, empowerment, well-being, and attitudes toward disclosure and help-seeking.

Conclusions:

• The HOP program is feasible and effective for active military servicemembers regarding stigma stress, disclosure, depressive symptoms, quality of life, and well-being.
• HOP demonstrates potential as a valuable addition to mental health services and peer support within military settings.
• Further integration of such programs could enhance mental health support and reduce stigma in the armed forces.