Addressing mental health stigma among young adolescents: evaluation of a youth-led approach

Health Soc Work. 2014 May;39(2):73-80. doi: 10.1093/hsw/hlu008.

Abstract

Stigma around mental illness puts adolescents at risk for not seeking help for themselves or helping peers dealing with mental distress. This program evaluation looks at a youth-led mental health awareness promotion campaign, in which high school students led educational workshops for at-risk middle school students in an after-school program. Pre- and posttests were used to measure knowledge about mental illness as well as social distance; a total of 57 pre- and posttests were analyzed. Analyses revealed statistically significant changes in both the Knowledge and Social Distance scales. The results suggest that salutary results can be realized as a result of very brief intervention with youths around the topic of mental health awareness.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Health Education / methods*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / psychology*
  • Peer Group
  • Psychology, Adolescent*
  • Social Stigma*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires