Abstract

OLIVEIRA, Sandra; CAROLINO, Luísa  and  PAIVA, Adriana. Programa Saúde Mental Sem Estigma: Efeitos de Estratégias Diretas e Indiretas nas Atitudes Estigmatizantes. Revista Portuguesa de Enfermagem de Saúde Mental [online]. 2012, n.8, pp.30-37. ISSN 1647-2160.

Introduction: The educational approaches, supported by facts and evidence based contribute to promote literacy in mental health, raising reflection and attitude changes. These conditions are essential to the deconstruction of negative beliefs associated to mental illness, but also to develop abilities to identify and recognize risk factors and signs related to certain mental disorders. However, its action seems to be restricted in time. Prevention and intervention programs in mental health will be, therefore, more efficient if they: i) include strategies capable of increasing the Education and Contact, leading to more positive outcomes, in other words, promoting further knowledge, confidence and empathy; ii) are locally implemented; iii) are targeted to specific groups, particularly, adolescents. The school is, indeed, a privileged place and adolescents are a promising target because of their developmental phase. They represent the next generation of health users and professionals, making their role regarding the maintenance or reduction of social stigma, indispensable. Aims: This work has the goals of studying the opinions of secondary students about mental illness, increasing literacy and knowledge about mental health, reducing prejudices and negatives attitudes and consequently promoting more inclusive behaviors. Method: 843 students participated in this study, assessed with the Portuguese version of the Opinions about Mental Illness Scale before and after application of the Programa de Sensibilização SMS Estigma (Saúde Mental Sem Estigma). Two groups were composed: group 1 had access to the Anti stigma Campaign and the group 2 in addition to the Campaign, participated in Education and Contact sessions. Results and Conclusions: The results demonstrate and confirm the effectiveness of the combination of Education and Contact strategies in reducing stigma associated with mental illness. There was a significant decrease in stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness in both groups, with more positive results in group 2. After the Programa de Sensibilização SMS Estigma (Saúde Mental Sem Estigma), students also showed more skills to identify and recognize signs/symptoms, in itself and in others, related to mental health problems. Anti stigma programs, integrated into national and regional strategy, permanently and directed to different target groups, may contribute significantly to reduce stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination behaviors, becoming essential the continuity of this type of interventions.

Keywords : Stigma; Mental Health; Literacy; Adolescents.

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