title: [Anti stigma campaigns: really useful and effective? A critical review of the anti-stigma initiatives conducted in Italy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stigma related to mental illness determines important negative consequences to psychiatric patients. It is important to determine if the number of anti-stigma campaigns are effective and useful. This paper aims to identify anti-stigma projects carried out in Italy in the last ten years and to evaluate their effectiveness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anti-stigma campaigns conducted in Italy in the last decade have been scrutinized. These campaigns have been identified through direct contact with promoting organizations, by a web search and by a search conducted on electronic scientific databases (PsycINFO, Medline and Embase). Anti-stigma campaigns thus identified have been classified according to a series of key methodological criteria proposed by the international literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  71 anti-stigma programs have been identified. These projects are significantly heterogeneous in both their conception and practical realization. A lack of information on the results obtained by the vast majority of the anti-stigma programs was found, thus not allowing to gain any insight on their effectiveness. Most of the reviewed programs did not follow procedures based on scientific evidence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-stigma programs should be founded on rigorous methodological principles and on the best evidence available; this is needed in order to create efforts with the highest rate of possible success.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanita Pubblica, Universita di Verona, Verona, Italy. silvia.zoppei@univr.it
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zoppei
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lasalvia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009938:Organizations; D028701:Patient Rights; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation; D057545:Social Stigma; D012944:Social Support; D013240:Stereotyping