Effectiveness of an intervention to reduce stigma towards people with a severe mental disorder diagnosis in primary health care personnel: Programme Igual-Mente

• Published in: Psychiatry research 2021-11, Vol.305, p.114259-114259, Article 114259
• Main Authors: Grandón, Pamela, Saldivia, Sandra, Cova, Felix, Bustos, Claudio, Vaccari, Pamela, Ramírez-Vielma, Raúl, Vielma-Aguilera, Alexis, Zambrano, Carlos, Ortiz, Camila, Knaak, Stephanie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitude of Health Personnel; Health care providers; Health Personnel; Humans; Intervention; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - therapy; Primary Health Care; Severe mental disorder; Social Stigma; Stigma
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114259

•The intervention reduced stigma toward people with severe mental disorder.•The study was conducted in a middle-income country through a randomized control trial.•The role of experts by experience was relevant in the research.•The effects of the intervention were maintained at follow-up. This study assessed the effectiveness of a program (called Igual-Mente, Equal-Mind) designed to reduce stigma in primary health care personnel. A random clinical trial was performed (ISRCTN46464036). There were 316 primary care professionals and technicians who were randomized and assigned to the experimental or control group. The program considered as strategies the education, the contact and the development of skills. There were six sessions with the primary care staff and two sessions with the managers of the health centers. It was executed by two facilitators, a professional psychologist and an expert by experience, i.e., a person diagnosed with a severe mental disorder (SMD). Attitudes, social distance, and humane treatment behaviors toward people with SMD were assessed. The intervention was effective in reducing stigma attitudes y social distance towards people diagnosed with SMD. The magnitude of the changes ranged from moderate to high in all these variables and the effects were maintained for four months after the end of the program. Regarding humane treatment behaviors, the effects were less clear. This study shows good results indicating that well-designed interventions can effectively reduce stigma towards people diagnosed with SMD, which is one of the main challenges of health systems.