Effect of an intervention combining technological resources with a talk by a professional and contact with persons with lived experiences of mental health conditions to reduce stigma towards schizophrenia among young people

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study aims to determine the effects of an intervention that analyzes the effectiveness of a serious game (video-game with educational objectives) designed to reduce stigma towards people with mental-health problems. This video-game was applied both separately and in combination with other traditional-tools, such as a talk with a professional and face-to-face contact with persons with lived experiences of mental health conditions in a design with three experimental groups, where the different interventions were incorporated consecutively and a control group, where only participants without intervention were assessed. The Questionnaire on Students Attitudes towards Schizophrenia was used to assess stigma. The results obtained reveal the utility of the serious-game, producing a statistically significant reduction of stigma, and also the importance of combining it with other elements, such as contact with persons with lived experiences of mental health conditions. The talk by a professional produced no improvements in the intervention. The relevance of these results is discussed.