Mental health stigma among college students: Test of an interactive online intervention
Abstract
Objective: Young adults have low rates of help-seeking despite high rates of mental health problems, which relate to stigmatizing attitudes. Education as well as contact with people with mental health problems may improve stigmatization. The present pilot study tested the efficacy of an online interactive educational intervention that utilizes avatars depicting distressed individuals on stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness and help-seeking. Participants and Methods: Eighty-five college student participants were assessed on self- and public-stigma as well as attitudes toward help-seeking and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (intervention, control, post-test only). Results: Pre-post comparisons indicate that interactive programs may be an accessible and efficient means to reduce stigmatizing attitudes toward help-seeking among college students. Future studies should include follow-up assessments and measures of behavior and should consider individual differences. including personal mental health history.
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Participation in web-based interventions is associated with decreases in stigmatizing attitudes toward help seeking.
“and help seeking [19]”
From Web-Based Interventions to Help Australian Adults Address Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal Ideation, and General Mental Well-being: Scoping Review (2022) · cites this paper as [19]
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“Participation has also been associated with decreases in personal stigmatizing attitudes toward depression in the mainstream population [17] and among immigrants [13], as well as decreases in stigmatizing attitudes toward suicide [18] and help seeking [19].”
Background
- Authors
- Kirschner, B., Goetzl, M., & Curtin, L.
- Affiliations
- Appalachian State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Curtin, Lisa
- ORCID
- Curtin, Lisa
- Venue
- Journal of American College Health
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2020-10-13
- Volume
- 70
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1831-1838
- ISSN
- 0164-4300 (ISSN-L)
- 0744-8481
- 1940-3208
- OpenAlex
- W3092039774
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 21
- FWCI
- 7.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of American College Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Keywords
- mental health stigma, university students, help-seeking attitudes, online educational intervention, avatars, public stigma, self-stigma, attitudes toward mental illness, young adults
- MeSH terms
- Internet-Based Intervention, Mental Disorders, Humans, Mental Health, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Pilot Projects, Students, Universities, Young Adult, Social Stigma
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