Reaching out to high school youth: the effectiveness of a video-based antistigma program.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact on high school students of a video-based antistigma program portraying real life experiences of individuals with schizophrenia and lesson plans to guide classroom discussions and active learning.


METHODS
We used a pre- and posttest design to measure the short-term impact of the program on student's knowledge of schizophrenia and its treatment as well as students' self-reported socially distancing behaviours. Participants (571 students) were from 8 high schools across Canada.


RESULTS
Following the Reaching Out antistigma program, high school students were significantly more knowledgeable and less socially distancing. Impact also varied by age group and sex.


CONCLUSIONS
Video-based antistigma programs are comparable to programs that deliver educational messages through direct contact with individuals with mental illnesses. Video-based programs are more easily disseminated on a broad scale.
Stuart
Heather
H
Department of Community Health, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. hh11@post.queensu.ca
D000293:Adolescent; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012574:Schools; D012944:Social Support; D013240:Stereotyping; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014743:Videotape Recording