Destigmatization Among Primary Health Care Providers

Hawler Medical University

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Stigma of Mental Illness

Treatments: Other: Educational Program on Mental Illness Stigma Reduction

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06655792

Destigmatization

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to learn if an educational program can reduce stigma toward mental illness among primary health care providers. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does the educational program decrease stigma toward mental illness among participants?
• How does the program improve knowledge about mental illness?
• What beliefs about mental illness do participants hold before and after the program? Researcher will compare the intervention group, who will receive the educational program, to a control group that will not receive the program to see if the educational program is effective in reducing stigma and improving knowledge.

Participants will:

Attend educational sessions designed to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness.

Complete questionnaires about their attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge regarding mental illness before and after the program.

Provide demographic information and professional background details.

Full description

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program designed to reduce stigma toward mental illness among primary health care providers in Kirkuk, Iraq. Given the critical role healthcare providers play in identifying and supporting individuals with mental health issues, addressing stigma is essential for improving mental health care delivery.

Study Design: The study will utilize a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, with participants assigned to either an intervention group that receives the educational program or a control group that does not. This design will allow for a comparison of outcomes between the two groups.

Participants: Participants will include healthcare providers working in primary health care centers, specifically from the psychosocial, health promotion, and school health units. Primary healthcare providers within those centers will be chosen through simple random sampling to ensure a representative sample of participants.

Intervention: The educational program will consist of interactive sessions that cover topics such as the nature of mental illness, its impact on individuals and families, effective communication strategies, and methods for providing empathetic care. The program will be delivered over eight sessions, including both lectures and group discussions to facilitate engagement and learning.

Outcomes: The primary outcomes will include:

Changes in stigma levels, assessed through the Opening Minds Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC).

Changes in knowledge about mental health, evaluated using the Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire (MHKQ).

Beliefs about mental illness, measured through the Beliefs toward Mental Illness scale (BMI).

Reported and intended behaviors toward individuals with mental health problems, assessed using the Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale.

Data will be collected at three time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at a follow-up stage to assess the sustainability of the program's effects.

Data Analysis: Statistical analyses will be conducted to compare pre- and post-intervention results between the intervention and control groups. Changes in stigma, knowledge, and beliefs will be analyzed to determine the program's overall effectiveness.

Significance: By evaluating the impact of this educational program, the study aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for training healthcare providers in culturally sensitive mental health care practices. Ultimately, the findings could lead to improved mental health outcomes in the community by fostering a more supportive environment for individuals experiencing mental health issues.

Enrollment: 165 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Currently holding a position in the government health sector in Kirkuk City.
• Actively engaged in delivering assistance to clients.

Exclusion criteria

• Not directly involved in delivering assistance to clients.
• Unwilling to participate in the educational program.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

165 participants in 2 patient groups

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Standard Care (No Educational Program) Participants in this group will not receive the educational program designed to reduce stigma toward mental illness. Instead, they will continue with their usual professional development and work routines without any specific interventions related to mental health stigma reduction. No intervention: This group serves as a comparison group to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational program provided to Arm 1. Follow-up: Similar assessments of knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards mental illness will be conducted before and after the study period to measure any changes that may occur in the absence of the educational intervention.

Study Group

Experimental group

Description:

Educational Program on Mental Illness Stigma Reduction Participants in this group will receive the educational program designed to reduce stigma toward mental illness. The educational program will be delivered through a series of structured sessions that aim to improve healthcare providers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards mental illness. These sessions will focus on the following key elements: Increasing knowledge about mental illness: This will include education on common mental health disorders, their symptoms, and treatments. Addressing misconceptions: Participants will learn about myths and misconceptions surrounding mental illness, with discussions on the importance of recognizing mental health as part of overall health. Promoting positive attitudes: Activities and discussions will aim to foster empathy and understanding, encouraging participants to develop supportive and non-judgmental attitudes towards individuals with mental illness.

Treatment:

Other: Educational Program on Mental Illness Stigma Reduction