Challenging the Stigma of Mental Illness Among College Students

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health Vol. 59; no. 3; pp. 325 - 331
• Main Authors: Kosyluk, Kristin A., Ph.D, Al-Khouja, Maya, Bink, Andrea, M.S, Buchholz, Blythe, M.S, Ellefson, Sarah, M.S, Fokuo, Konadu, M.S, Goldberg, David, M.S, Kraus, Dana, Leon, Adeline, M.S, Michaels, Patrick, Ph.D, Powell, Karina, M.S, Schmidt, Annie, Corrigan, Patrick W., Psy.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Attitude to Health; Case-Control Studies; College students; Contact; Education; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental illness; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Pediatrics; Social Stigma; Stigma; Students - psychology; Students - statistics & numerical data; Universities; Young Adult; College students; Stigma; Education; Mental illness; Contact
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.05.005

Abstract Purpose This study investigated the impact of contact- and education-based antistigma interventions on mental illness stigma, affirming attitudes, discrimination, and treatment seeking among college students. Methods Data were collected from 198 students of a Chicago University campus in spring of 2014. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a contact-based antistigma presentation, education-based presentation, or control condition. Measures of stigma, discrimination, affirming attitudes, and treatment seeking were administered at preintervention and postintervention. Results A 3 × 2 analysis of variance was completed for each measure to examine condition by trial interactions. Both contact- and education-based interventions demonstrated a significant impact on personal stigma, perceptions of empowerment, discrimination, attitudes towards treatment seeking, and intentions to seek treatment from formal sources. No difference in effect was demonstrated between the contact- and education-based conditions. Conclusions These findings suggest that these two approaches should be considered for challenging mental illness stigma among college students.