title: Decreasing the Stigma of Mental Illness Through a Student-Nurse Mentoring Program: A Qualitative Study.
abstract: Stigma is defined as endorsing prejudicial attitudes about mental illness leading to discriminatory behaviors. It undermines the quality of medical care received by people with mental illness. Research suggests contact based interventions are effective in reducing stigma and increasing positive attitudes towards people with mental illness. This paper describes the development of a consumer led student-nurse mentoring program as part of nursing student education. People with lived mental health experience would mentor student nurses regarding the harmful effects of stigma and the beneficial outcomes of affirming attitudes. Seventy members of stakeholder groups (people with lived mental health experience and student nurses) participated in focus groups. Qualitative analyses revealed themes across stakeholder groups regarding: perceived mental health stigma from nurses, ways to reduce stigma, target message for the mentorship program, characteristics of mentors and logistics in developing such a program within the student nurse curricula.
authors.affiliation: Illinois Institute of Technology, 3424 S. State Street, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA. jfokuo@hawk.iit.edu.
authors.forename: J Konadu
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Fokuo
authors.affiliation: Office of Consumer Affairs, Illinois Division of Mental Health, Chicago Read Mental Center, 4200 N Oak Park Ave, Chicago, IL, 60634, USA.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Goldrick
authors.affiliation: Northern Illinois University, 1240 Normal Rd., Dekalb, IL, 60115, USA.
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rossetti
authors.affiliation: Northern Illinois University, 1240 Normal Rd., Dekalb, IL, 60115, USA.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wahlstrom
authors.affiliation: Illinois Institute of Technology, 3424 S. State Street, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kundert
authors.affiliation: Illinois Institute of Technology, 3424 S. State Street, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.affiliation: Illinois Institute of Technology, 3424 S. State Street, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corrigan
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D000071252:Mentoring; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D016730:Program Development; D036301:Qualitative Research; D057545:Social Stigma; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Contact based program; Discrimination; Mental illness; Nursing students; Stigma