© 2004 by Oxford University Press and the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC)
Changing Middle Schoolers' Attitudes About Mental Illness Through Education
Northwestern University Evanston, IL
Health Services and Intervention, Behavior Program and Sociocultural Processes and Health Disparities Program; Division of Mental Disorders, Behavior Research and AIDS; National Institute of Mental Health Bethesda, MD
Center for Research & Evaluation, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study Colorado Springs, CO
National Institute of Mental Health Bethesda, MD
Send reprint requests to Dr. A.C. Watson, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Director of Research, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, 1033 University Place, Suite 450, Evanston, IL 60201; e-mail: acwatson{at}gmail.com
The field test of The Science of Mental Illness curriculum supplement for middle school (grades 6–8) children provided an opportunity to assess knowledge and attitudes about mental illness in more than 1,500 middle school students throughout the United States and to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on stigma-related attitudes. Two primary questions were examined: (1) what are the baseline knowledge and attitudes about mental illness in this sample of middle school students, and (2) does participation in a curriculum about the science of mental illness increase knowledge and improve attitudes about mental illness? Consistent with findings from other studies, results indicate that students had some understanding of mental illness as a problem of the brain with biological and psychosocial causes; however, they lacked knowledge about treatment and overall were "not sure" about many aspects of mental illness. The students did not strongly endorse negative attitudes about mental illness at baseline. The curriculum produced significant improvements in both knowledge and attitudes at posttest and was most effective in improving attitudes among those with more negative baseline attitudes. These findings suggest that a brief educational program can be an effective intervention to increase knowledge and improve attitudes about mental illness.
Keywords: Mental illness / stigma / science education / adolescents / attitudes
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  D. Coleman, J. S. Walker, J. Lee, B. J. Friesen, and P. N. Squire Children's Beliefs About Causes of Childhood Depression and ADHD: A Study of Stigmatization Psychiatr Serv, July 1, 2009; 60(7): 950 - 957. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. M. Lincoln, E. Arens, C. Berger, and W. Rief Can Antistigma Campaigns Be Improved? A Test of the Impact of Biogenetic Vs Psychosocial Causal Explanations on Implicit and Explicit Attitudes to Schizophrenia Schizophr Bull, September 1, 2008; 34(5): 984 - 994. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. D. Hanson, S. Johnson, A. Niec, A. M. Pietrantonio, B. High, H. MacMillan, and K. W. Eva Does Mental Illness Stigma Contribute to Adolescent Standardized Patients' Discomfort With Simulations of Mental Illness and Adverse Psychosocial Experiences? Acad Psychiatry, April 1, 2008; 32(2): 98 - 103. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. L. Stover, L. Brady, and S. R. Marder New Paradigms for Treatment Development Schizophr Bull, September 1, 2007; 33(5): 1093 - 1099. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. U. Law, S. Sinclair, and N. Fraser Children's attitudes and behavioural intentions towards a peer with symptoms of ADHD: does the addition of a diagnostic label make a difference? J Child Health Care, June 1, 2007; 11(2): 98 - 111. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. W. Corrigan, B. D. Lurie, H. H. Goldman, N. Slopen, K. Medasani, and S. Phelan How Adolescents Perceive the Stigma of Mental Illness and Alcohol Abuse Psychiatr Serv, May 1, 2005; 56(5): 544 - 550. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|