Reducing mental illness stigma in mental health professionals using a web-based approach.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a web-based mental disorder stigma education program for mental health professionals.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 205 individuals who were either residents or specialists in psychiatry. Participants were contacted through a national web-based e-mail group that consisted of professionals in psychiatry, who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received an informative e-mail which contained a general account of "stigma" before they were asked to respond to an Internet-based questionnaire which was designed to predict their stigmatizing attitudes towards individuals with mental disorders. Control subjects, on the other hand, were asked to respond to the same Internet-based questionnaire without having been given the aforementioned informative e-mail.


RESULTS
The experimental group, compared to the control group, demonstrated a lesser stigmatizing attitude towards individuals with mental illness, as measured by the Internet-based survey which utilized the "social distance" concepts of stigma.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that such "anti-stigma" campaigns using the potential of the Internet might be an effective tool in the fight against the stigmatization of persons with mental illness.
Bayar
Mahmut Reha
MR
Department of Psychiatry, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Aksaray, Istanbul, Turkey.
Poyraz
Burç Cağri
BC
Aksoy-Poyraz
Cana
C
Arikan
Mehmet Kemal
MK
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003479:Curriculum; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey