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Effects of contact-based mental illness stigma reduction programs: age, gender, and Asian, Latino, and White American differences

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Abstract

Purpose

Mental illness stigma disproportionately affects help seeking among youth, men, and ethnic minorities. As part of a comprehensive statewide initiative to reduce mental illness stigma and discrimination in California, a broad set of contact-based educational programs were widely disseminated. This study examined whether the effects of contact-based educational programs varied depending on the age, gender, and race-ethnicity of participants.

Methods

Participants (N = 4122) attended a contact-based educational program that was delivered as part of the statewide initiative to reduce mental illness stigma and discrimination. Self-administered surveys assessing beliefs, attitudes, and intentions toward mental illnesses and treatment were conducted immediately before and after participation in contact-based educational programs.

Results

Participant age, gender, and race-ethnicity significantly moderated pre–post changes in mental illness stigma. Although all groups exhibited significant pre–post changes across most of the stigma domains assessed, young adults, females, and Asian and Latino American participants reported larger improvements compared to older adults, males, and Whites, respectively.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that contact-based educational programs can achieve immediate reductions in mental illness stigma across a variety of sociodemographic groups and may particularly benefit young adults and racial–ethnic minorities. Further research is needed to assess whether contact-based educational programs can sustain longer-term changes and aid in the reduction of disparities in mental illness stigma and treatment.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90401, USA

    Eunice C. Wong, Rebecca L. Collins, Jennifer L. Cerully & Rachana Seelam

  2. SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA

    Jennifer W. Yu

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  1. Eunice C. Wong
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Correspondence to Eunice C. Wong.

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Wong, E.C., Collins, R.L., Cerully, J.L. et al. Effects of contact-based mental illness stigma reduction programs: age, gender, and Asian, Latino, and White American differences. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 53, 299–308 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1459-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1459-9

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