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Contact in the Classroom: Developing a Program Model for Youth Mental Health Contact-Based Anti-stigma Education

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Abstract

This study evaluated eighteen Canadian anti-stigma programs targeting high-school students. The purpose was to identify critical domains and develop a program model of contact-based interventions. Three steps were implemented. The first step involved collecting program information through twenty in-depth interviews with stakeholders and field observations of seven programs. The second step involved constructing critical ingredients into domains for conceptual clarity and component modeling. The third step involved validating the program model by stakeholders review and initial fidelity testing with program outcomes. A program model with an overarching theme “engaging contact reduces stigma” and three underlying constructs (speakers, message, and interaction) were developed. Within each construct three specific domains were identified to explain the concepts. Connection, engagement, and empowerment are critical domains of anti-stigma programs for the youth population. Findings from this study have built on the scientific knowledge about the change theory underpinning youth contact-based intervention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G2G4, Canada

    Shu-Ping Chen

  2. Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Michelle Koller & Heather Stuart

  3. School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Terry Krupa

Authors
  1. Shu-Ping Chen
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  2. Michelle Koller
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  3. Terry Krupa
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  4. Heather Stuart
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Correspondence to Shu-Ping Chen.

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Chen, SP., Koller, M., Krupa, T. et al. Contact in the Classroom: Developing a Program Model for Youth Mental Health Contact-Based Anti-stigma Education. Community Ment Health J 52, 281–293 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9944-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9944-7

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