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Let’s Erase the Stigma (LETS): A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Adolescent-Led School Groups Intended to Reduce Mental Illness Stigma

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Abstract

Background

Reducing mental illness stigma in youth is an important societal goal, but much of the existing literature focuses on knowledge enhancement strategies. These alone may not be sufficient to enhance empathy, change fundamental attitudes, or reduce social distance.

Objective

To evaluate a youth-initiated, discussion- and empathy-based antistigma school program, called “Let’s Erase the Stigma” (LETS), among adolescents from Los Angeles. We hypothesized that participation in such clubs, for a semester, would be associated with better attitudes toward mental illness, reduced social distance against those with mental illness, and enhanced performance of antistigma actions, but not greater knowledge about mental disorder.

Method

Participants were involved in LETS clubs for a semester; non-participants, also interested in such involvement, were evaluated prior to club activities. Outcomes in this quasi-experimental, non-randomized trial included (a) quantitative measures of attitudes, social distance, positive antistigma actions, and knowledge, all related to mental illness; and (b) open-ended responses related to stigma awareness, potential antistigma actions, and antistigma rationale. The design did not allow for evaluation of pre–post differences but afforded insight into potential contributions of LETS participation regarding outcomes of interest.

Results

LETS participation was associated with statistically significant differences across attitudes, social distance, antistigma actions, and knowledge, with effect sizes ranging from small to large.

Conclusions

Although not meeting the standard of a randomized trial, the findings suggest that a youth-directed, discussion- and action-based intervention may provide a novel means of reducing mental illness stigma in adolescents. The preliminary nature of the results mandates experimental investigations.

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Acknowledgments

Work on this project was supported by the Let’s Erase the Stigma (LETS) Educational Foundation. It was facilitated by the efforts of many dedicated LETS staff members and volunteers and by the dedicated efforts of students and school personnel in the greater Los Angeles area. We are especially grateful for the incredible work on data entry and data coding by Madeleine Fox and Zane Wagener. We would also like to extend special thanks to Landon Costa and Shaikh Ahmad for their guidance and support throughout the duration of this project.

Ethics statement

We have complied with the APA ethical guidelines in performing this investigation. Our quasi-experimental evaluation did not necessitate IRB approval or informed consent, because we did not collect any participant identifying information.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Nicole M. Murman, Robert Villanueva & Stephen P. Hinshaw

  2. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, USA

    Kyla C. E. Buckingham

  3. Let’s Erase the Stigma Educational Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Philippe Fontilea

  4. Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA

    Bennett Leventhal

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  1. Nicole M. Murman
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  2. Kyla C. E. Buckingham
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  3. Philippe Fontilea
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  4. Robert Villanueva
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  6. Stephen P. Hinshaw
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Correspondence to Nicole M. Murman.

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Murman, N.M., Buckingham, K.C.E., Fontilea, P. et al. Let’s Erase the Stigma (LETS): A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Adolescent-Led School Groups Intended to Reduce Mental Illness Stigma. Child Youth Care Forum 43, 621–637 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-014-9257-y

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