Abstract
Aims and method To systematically review the published literature on the effectiveness of classroom-based interventions to tackle the stigma of mental illness in young people, and to identify any consistent elements within successful programmes.Results Seventeen studies were included in the analysis. A minority of studies reported a positive impact on stigma or knowledge outcomes at follow-up and there were considerable methodological shortcomings in the studies reviewed. These interventions varied substanitally in content and delivery. It was not possible to use this data to draw out what aspects make a successful intervention. There is currently no strong evidence to support previous conclusions that these types of intervention work for children and adolescents.Clinical implications When anti-stigma interventions for young people are rolled out in the future, it is important that the programme design and method of delivery have evidence to prove their effectiveness, and that the audience and setting are the most appropriate to target. There is a current lack of strong evidence to inform this.
Highlights
Clinical implications When anti-stigma interventions for young people are rolled out in the future, it is important that the programme design and method of delivery have evidence to prove their effectiveness, and that the audience and setting are the most appropriate to target
randomised controlled trials (RCTs), randomised controlled trial; CI-RCT, cluster RCT; non-randomised controlled trials (NRTs), non-RCT; CBA, controlled before-after studies. [, statistically significant change in intervention group in stigma-relevant or knowledge outcome measure; 6, no statistically significant difference;, outcome not measured in study; n/a, outcome not measured in study at this time point
Showing a significant difference in self-report questionnaires immediately after an intervention seems unsurprising and, if that is the limit of the effect of the programme, seems insufficient grounds for rolling out the programme more widely
Summary
Of the 1261 studies identified in the initial search, 17 met the above criteria (Fig. 1).[23]. A total of 13 of the instruments were designed for the intervention or study; 6 of these had poor (or untested) reliability, casting doubt on their validity[24,29,30,31,37,40] and on the results that they provide Economou et al’s32 cluster RCT compared change in mean score per item on their belief/attitude questionnaire and reported that 8/10 items were answered significantly better at follow-up than baseline in the intervention group. The intervention group showed positive change compared with the controls
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