Process Evaluation of a Parish-Based Intervention to Reduce Mental Health-Related Stigma

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community-Based Interventions
• Mental Health Stigma Reduction

Background:

• Latino populations face significant unmet mental health needs and stigma.
• Community-based programs in Latino churches offer a promising avenue for intervention.
• Reducing mental health stigma is crucial for improving health outcomes in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reach, satisfaction, effectiveness, and fidelity of Project AMEN, a community-based mental health intervention.
• To test a collaborative approach using Latino Catholic parishes to reduce mental health stigma and unmet needs.
• To examine intervention outcomes across different demographic and faith-related subgroups.

Main Methods:

• Project AMEN implemented mental health workshops, homilies, and text messages in seven Southern California parishes.
• Baseline and one-year post-intervention data were collected from 579 participants.
• Bivariate and multivariate modeling analyzed reach, satisfaction, effectiveness, and stigma reduction.

Main Results:

• 71% of participants engaged in at least one intervention activity.
• Text messages (42%), workshops (20%), and homilies (20%) were the most common activities.
• Increased participation in AMEN activities predicted a reduction in mental health stigma.

Conclusions:

• Project AMEN demonstrated promising reach, satisfaction, and effectiveness in reducing mental health stigma among Latino individuals.
• Collaborative, faith-based programming is a viable strategy for addressing mental health disparities in Latino communities.
• Future research should explore strategies to overcome participation barriers for individuals with mental health problems.