Health Service and Population Research Department, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, 29, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
BMC Public Health. 2012 Jun 28;12:489. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-489.
Stigma and discrimination associated with mental health problems is an important public health issue, and interventions aimed at reducing exposure to stigma and discrimination can improve the lives of people with mental health problems. Social contact has long been considered to be one of the most effective strategies for improving inter-group relations. For this study, we assess the impact of a population level social contact intervention among people with and without mental health problems.
This study investigated the impact of social contact and whether presence of specific facilitating factors (equal status, common goals, cooperation and friendship potential): (1) improves intended stigmatising behaviour; (2) increases future willingness to disclose a mental health problem; and (3) promotes behaviours associated with anti-stigma campaign engagement. Two mass participation social contact programmes within England's Time to Change campaign were evaluated via a 2-part questionnaire. 403 participants completed initial questionnaires (70% paper, 30% online) and 83 completed follow-up questionnaires online 4-6 weeks later.
This study investigated the impact of social contact and whether presence of specific facilitating factors (equal status, common goals, cooperation and friendship potential): (1) improves intended stigmatising behaviour; (2) increases future willingness to disclose a mental health problem; and (3) promotes behaviours associated with anti-stigma campaign engagement. Two mass participation social contact programmes within England's Time to Change campaign were evaluated via a 2-part questionnaire. 403 participants completed initial questionnaires (70% paper, 30% online) and 83 completed follow-up questionnaires online 4-6 weeks later. Campaign events facilitated meaningful intergroup social contact between individuals with and without mental health problems. Presence of facilitating conditions predicted improved stigma-related behavioural intentions and subsequent campaign engagement 4-6 weeks following social contact. Contact, however, was not predictive of future willingness to disclose mental health problems.
Findings emphasise the importance of facilitating conditions to promote positive social contact between individuals and also suggest that social contact interventions can work on a mass level. Future research should investigate this type of large scale intervention among broader and more representative populations.
与心理健康问题相关的污名化和歧视是一个重要的公共卫生问题，旨在减少污名化和歧视的干预措施可以改善心理健康问题患者的生活。社会接触长期以来一直被认为是改善群体间关系的最有效策略之一。在这项研究中，我们评估了针对有和没有心理健康问题的人群的人群层面的社会接触干预的影响。
本研究调查了社会接触的影响以及是否存在特定的促进因素（平等地位、共同目标、合作和友谊潜力）：（1）改善预期的污名化行为；（2）增加未来披露心理健康问题的意愿；（3）促进与反污名运动参与相关的行为。通过英格兰“改变时间”运动中的两个大众参与的社会接触计划，通过两部分问卷进行了评估。403 名参与者完成了初始问卷（70%纸质，30%在线），83 名参与者在 4-6 周后在线完成了后续问卷。
本研究调查了社会接触的影响以及是否存在特定的促进因素（平等地位、共同目标、合作和友谊潜力）：（1）改善预期的污名化行为；（2）增加未来披露心理健康问题的意愿；（3）促进与反污名运动参与相关的行为。通过英格兰“改变时间”运动中的两个大众参与的社会接触计划，通过两部分问卷进行了评估。403 名参与者完成了初始问卷（70%纸质，30%在线），83 名参与者在 4-6 周后在线完成了后续问卷。运动事件促进了有和没有心理健康问题的个体之间有意义的群体间社会接触。存在促进条件预测了在社会接触后 4-6 周内与污名相关的行为意向和随后的运动参与度的改善。然而，接触并不能预测未来披露心理健康问题的意愿。
研究结果强调了促进条件对于促进个体之间积极的社会接触的重要性，也表明社会接触干预可以在大规模层面上发挥作用。未来的研究应该在更广泛和更具代表性的人群中调查这种大规模干预。
