Abstract

AHUJA, Kanika K.; DHILLON, Megha; JUNEJA, Anisha  and  SHARMA, Bhuvaneswari. Breaking barriers: An education and contact intervention to reduce mental illness stigma among Indian college students. Psychosocial Intervention [online]. 2017, vol.26, n.2, pp.103-109. ISSN 2173-4712.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psi.2016.11.003.

This study assessed the effectiveness of an intervention designed to foster more positive attitudes towards persons with mental illness among college students in Delhi. A total of 50 young people participated in a one-time education and contact based intervention. Attitudes towards persons with mental illness were assessed before the intervention, immediately after it and at a one week follow-up. Results indicated increased feelings of benevolence, community mental health ideology and less authoritarianism at the post-intervention assessments. Reduction in endorsement of social restrictiveness was also observed but only in the case of the immediate post-assessment. We also observed a greater recognition of needs, increased positive descriptions, decreased negative descriptions and reduced labelling after the intervention. These results support the efficacy of education and contact-based strategies for reducing mental illness stigma. Implications of the findings for low-middle income countries like India are discussed.

Keywords : Mental illness; Stigma; Intervention; College students.

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