nach oben

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

Erschienen in:

01.07.2008 | ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Putting the person back into psychopathology: an intervention to reduce mental illness stigma in the classroom

verfasst von: Caroline E. Mann, BA, Melissa J. Himelein, PhD

Erschienen in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Ausgabe 7/2008

Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten

Abstract

Objective

This research aims to compare the effectiveness of two methods of teaching psychopathology in reducing stigma toward mental illness. Based on previous stigma research, a first-person, narrative approach was contrasted with traditional, diagnosis-centered education.

Study 1 methods

Participants consisted of 53 undergraduates at a small, public university enrolled in two introductory psychology classes. During six hours of class time focused on psychopathology, one class received the experimental pedagogy while the other served as a control, receiving traditional instruction. Stigma was assessed pre- and post-intervention using a social distance scale and vignette design. Statistical analyses compared means and change scores between the two classes.

Study 1 results

Students in the experimental classroom showed a significant decrease in stigma following the intervention, whereas those in the control group showed no change.

Study 2 methods

A follow-up study was conducted to replicate the promising effects demonstrated in Study 1. Two additional classrooms (n = 48) were both exposed to the first-person, narrative pedagogy, and their stigma monitored pre- and post- intervention.

Study 2 results

Students reported a significant decrease in stigma following the intervention.

Conclusions

Together, these studies suggest that traditional methods of teaching psychopathology do not lessen mental illness stigma, a serious concern that can potentially be reconciled by incorporating more person-centered instructional methods. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the way psychopathology is taught throughout the mental health field, as well as the practical application of stigma interventions woven into the curriculum.

The word “mental illness” is used throughout this paper to refer to a broad spectrum of psychological troubles society often labels as “mental illnesses” or “psychiatric disorders”. This term was chosen in order to remain consistent with previous literature, and for the sake of simplicity. However, it should be noted that “mental illness” is a problematic term because studies suggest this language may actually increase stigma [44], and our own research indicates it is not a unitary construct [16]. Therefore, we employ this imperfect language with caution.

The film shown was “First Break”, directed by: Adreinne Amato, Derek Rogers, 50:55 running time, 1997 National Film Board of Canada, in Montreal Quebec.

We would like to acknowledge the contribution of an anonymous reviewer for bringing this point to our attention.

Adelman C (2004) The empirical curriculum: changes in postsecondary course-taking, 1972–2000. US Department of Education, Washington, DC

Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H (2003) The stigma of mental illness: effects of labeling on public attitudes toward people with mental disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand 108(4):304–309PubMedCrossRef

Angermeyer M, Matchinger H (2005) Causal beliefs and attitudes to people with schizophrenia: trend analysis based on data from two population surveys in Germany. Br J Psychiatr 186:331–334CrossRef

Batson D, Polycarpou P, Harmon-Jones E et al (1997) Empathy and attitudes: Can feeling for a member of a stigmatized group improve feelings toward the group? J Pers Soc Psychol 72:105–118PubMedCrossRef

Chrisler J (1992) Exploring mental illness through a poetry-writing assignment. Teach Psychol 19:173–174CrossRef

Chrisler J, Anderson D, Fleming M et al (2000) Teaching abnormal psychology through the arts and literature. In: Ware M, Lawrence JD (eds) Handbook of demonstrations and activities in the teaching of psychology. Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah

Chou K, Mak K (1998) Attitudes to mental patients among Hong Kong Chinese: a trend study over two years. Int J Soc Psychiatr 44:215–224CrossRef

Chung K, Chen E, Liu C (2001) University students’ attitudes towards mental patients and psychiatric treatment. Int J Soc Psychiatr 47:63–72CrossRef

Coodin S, Chisholm F (2001) Teaching in a new key: effects of a co-taught seminar on medical students’ attitudes toward schizophrenia. Psychiatr Rehabil J 24:299–302PubMed

10.

Corrigan P (Ed) (2005) On the stigma of mental illness: practical strategies for research and social change. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC

11.

Corrigan P, Penn D (1999) Lessons from social psychology on discrediting psychiatric stigma. Am Psychol 54:765–776PubMedCrossRef

12.

Corrigan P, Penn D (2004) Lessons from social psychology on discrediting psychiatric stigma. In: Kowalski R (ed) Key readings in social psychology. Psychology Press, New York

13.

Corrigan P, River P, Lundin R et al (2001) Three strategies for changing attributions about severe mental illness. Schizophr Bull 27:187–195PubMed

14.

Corrigan P, Rowan D, Green A et al (2002) Challenging two mental illness stigmas: personal responsibility and dangerousness. Schizophr Bull 28:293–309PubMed

15.

Desforges D, Lord C, Ramsey S et al (1991) Effects of structured cooperative contact on changing negative attitudes toward stigmatized social groups. J Pers Soc Psychol 60:531–544PubMedCrossRef

16.

Galinsky A, Moskowitz G (2000) Perspective-taking: decreasing stereotype expression, stereotype accessibility, and in-group favoritism. J Pers Soc Psychol 78:708–724PubMedCrossRef

17.

Graham J (1968) Effects of introductory and abnormal psychology courses on students’ attitudes toward mental illness. Psychol Rep 22:448PubMed

18.

Halonen J (2005) Abnormal psychology as liberating art and science. J Soc Clin Psychol 24:41–50CrossRef

19.

Hinshaw S, Cicchetti D (2000) Stigma and mental disorder: conceptions of illness, public attitudes, personal disclosure, and social policy. Dev Psychopathol 12:555–598PubMedCrossRef

20.

Keane M (1991) Acceptance vs. rejection: nursing students’ attitudes about mental illness. Perspect Psychiatr Care 27:13–18PubMed

21.

Kolodziej M, Johnson B (1996) Interpersonal contact and acceptance of persons with psychiatric disorders: a research synthesis. J Cons Clin Psychol 64:1387–1396CrossRef

22.

Link B, Cullen F, Frank J et al (1987) The social rejection of former mental patients: understanding why labels matter. Am J Soc 92:1461–1500CrossRef

23.

Link B, Struening E, Neese-Todd S et al (2001) Stigma as a barrier to recovery: the consequences of stigma for the self-esteem of people with mental illness. Psychiatr Serv 52:1621–1626PubMedCrossRef

24.

Llerena A, Caceres M, Penas-Lledo E (2002) Schizophrenia stigma among medical and nursing undergraduates. Eur Psychiatr 17:298–299CrossRef

25.

Mann C, Himelein M (2004) Factors associated with the stigmatization of persons with mental illness. Psychiatr Serv 55:185–187PubMedCrossRef

26.

Mehta S, Farina A (1997) Is being “sick” really better? Effect of the disease view of mental disorder on stigma. J Soc Clin Psychol 16:405–419

27.

Miller B, Gentile B (1998) Introductory course content and goals. Teach Psychol 25:89–96CrossRef

28.

Mirabi M, Weinman M, Magnetti S et al (1985) Professional attitudes toward the chronic mentally ill. Hosp Community Psychiatry 36:404–405PubMed

29.

Morrison J, Teta D (1980) Reducing students’ fear of mental illness by means of seminar-induced belief change. J Clin Psychol 36:275–276PubMedCrossRef

30.

Morrison J, Cocozza J, Vanderwyst D (1978) Changing students’ constructs of mental patients by means of educative seminars. J Clin Psychol 34:482–483PubMedCrossRef

31.

Packer S, Predergast P, Wasylenki D et al (1994) Psychiatric residents’ attitudes toward patients with chronic mental illness. Hosp Community Psychiatry 45:1117–1121PubMed

32.

Penn D, Guynan K, Daily T et al (1994) Dispelling the stigma of schizophrenia: What sort of information is best? Schizophr Bull 20:567–578PubMed

33.

Perlick D, Rosenheck R, Clarkin J et al (2001) Stigma as a barrier to recovery: adverse effects of perceived stigma on social adaptation of persons diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder. Psychiatr Serv 52:1627–1632PubMedCrossRef

34.

Perlman B, McCann L (1999) The most frequently listed courses in the undergraduate psychology curriculum. Teach Psychol 26:177–182CrossRef

35.

Read J, Harre N (2001) The role of biological and genetic causal beliefs in the stigmatization of “mental patients”. J Ment Health 10:223–235CrossRef

36.

Read J, Law A (1999) The relationship of causal beliefs and contact with users of mental health services to attitudes to the “mentally ill”. Int J Soc Psychiatr 45:216–229CrossRef

37.

Read J, Haslam N, Sayce L, Davies E (2006) Prejudice and schizophrenia: a review of the ‘mental illness is an illness like any other’ approach. Acta Psychiatr Scand 114(5):303–318PubMedCrossRef

38.

Reinke R, Corrigan P, Leonhard C et al (2004) Examining two aspects of contact on the stigma of mental illness. J Soc Clin Psychol 23:377–389CrossRef

39.

Sadow D, Ryder M, Webster D (2002) Is education of health professionals encouraging stigma towards the mentally ill? J Ment Health 11:657–665CrossRef

40.

Sartorius N (2002) Iatrogenic stigma of mental illness. Br Med J 324:1470–1471CrossRef

41.

Sirey J, Bruce M, Alexopoulos G et al (2001) Stigma as a barrier to recovery: perceived stigma and patient-rated severity of illness as predictors of antidepressant drug adherence. Psychiatr Serv 52:1615–1620PubMedCrossRef

42.

Vogel D, Wade N, Hackler A (2007) Perceived public stigma and the willingness to seek counseling: the mediating roles of self-stigma and attitudes toward counseling. J Couns Psychol 54:40–50CrossRef

43.

Walker I, Read J (2002) The differential effectiveness of psychosocial and biogenic causal explanations in reducing negative attitudes toward “mental illness”. Psychiatr Interpers Biol Process 65:313–325CrossRef

44.

Wilmouth G, Silver S, Severy L (1987) Receptivity and planned change: community attitudes and deinstitutionalization. J Appl Psychol 72:138–145CrossRef

Titel: Putting the person back into psychopathology: an intervention to reduce mental illness stigma in the classroom
verfasst von: Caroline E. Mann, BA
Melissa J. Himelein, PhD
Publikationsdatum: 01.07.2008
Verlag: D. Steinkopff-Verlag
Erschienen in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Ausgabe 7/2008
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Elektronische ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0324-2

Update Psychiatrie

Bestellen Sie unseren Fach-Newsletter und bleiben Sie gut informiert.

Newsletter bestellen

Live-Webinar "Urologie und Sexualmedizin in der Praxis"

Springer Medizin

Putting the person back into psychopathology: an intervention to reduce mental illness stigma in the classroom

Abstract

Objective

Study 1 methods

Study 1 results

Study 2 methods

Study 2 results

Conclusions

Neu im Fachgebiet Psychiatrie

Hörschwäche erhöht Demenzrisiko unabhängig von Beta-Amyloid

So wirken verschiedene Alkoholika auf den Blutdruck

„Übersichtlicher Wegweiser“: Lauterbachs umstrittener Klinik-Atlas ist online

ADHS-Medikation erhöht das kardiovaskuläre Risiko

Update Psychiatrie

Live-Webinar "Urologie und Sexualmedizin in der Praxis"

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Objective

Study 1 methods

Study 1 results

Study 2 methods

Study 2 results

Conclusions

Bitte loggen Sie sich ein, um Zugang zu diesem Inhalt zu erhalten

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 7/2008

Social position, early deprivation and the development of attachment

Alcohol use prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of alcohol use in a university student sample in Turkey

The determinants and outcomes of long-stay psychiatric admissions

Risk factor clustering for psychopathology in socially at-risk Spanish children

Social capital elite, excluded participators, busy working parents and aging, participating less: types of community participators and their mental health

Developing mental health services in Nigeria

Neu im Fachgebiet Psychiatrie

Hörschwäche erhöht Demenzrisiko unabhängig von Beta-Amyloid

So wirken verschiedene Alkoholika auf den Blutdruck

„Übersichtlicher Wegweiser“: Lauterbachs umstrittener Klinik-Atlas ist online

ADHS-Medikation erhöht das kardiovaskuläre Risiko

Update Psychiatrie