‘Listening from a Personal Perspective’: Does Co-Designed Mental Health Education Shift Stigma? A Mixed Method Evaluation Study

Abstract

AbstractMental health stigma by health care practitioners is well established with few education interventions implemented in Australia. Depth of field is a growing body of health humanities research that draws on healthcare consumers as legitimate experts (by experience) to co-design health professions education.This research aimed to explore whether a co-designed (with mental health consumers) education intervention shifts knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions of current and future health care practitioners towards caring for people who have experienced mental health issues.A convergent parallel mixed method design was used to collect data utilising a validated anti-stigma assessment tool at two time points pre- and post-intervention (n = 80) followed by qualitative data from semi-structured interviews (n = 10). Descriptive analysis, Wilcoxon Sign-Rank test to compare pre-post responses and interview data were thematically analysed.Collectively, data showed positive shifts in knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions towards people who have experienced mental health issues. Three main themes: Making connections: The power of storytelling; Knowledge and attitudes towards Borderline Personality Disorder: Shape, strengthen, challenge; and Inspiring change in health care practice.Co-designed education can positively impact health care practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions and has the potential to reframe mental health education toward recovery-oriented practice.