Measuring Beliefs and Norms About Persons With Mental Illness

Mass General Brigham

Status: Completed

Conditions: Schizophrenia; Mental Illness; Bipolar Disorder; Depression

Treatments: Other: Survey questionnaire

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03656770

2013P000395

Details and patient eligibility

About

Survey experiment to estimate drivers of mental illness stigma

Full description

Despite significant advances in scientific understanding of brain and substance use disorders accompanied by significant advances in treatment and improvements in prognosis, mental illness remains highly stigmatized throughout the world. Previous studies suggest that portraying mental illness as treatable can reduce negative attitudes toward persons with mental illness. This randomized controlled trial compares the effects of exposing study participants to vignettes portraying persons with untreated and symptomatic mental illness vs. treated mental illness with complete response vs. treated mental illness with relapse. It is hypothesized, based on prior work, that study participants exposed to vignettes depicting treated mental illness with completed response would have the greatest effect on reducing negative attitudes toward persons with mental illness, followed by treated mental illness with relapse and untreated and symptomatic mental illness.

Enrollment: 1,782 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• all persons who considered Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence and who were capable of providing consent

Exclusion criteria

• minors younger than 18 years of age, with the exception of emancipated minors
• persons who did not consider Nyakabare their primary place of residence, e.g., persons who happened to be visiting Nyakabare at the time of the survey or who owned a home in Nyakabare but spent most of their time outside the parish
• persons with whom research staff could not communicate, e.g., due to deafness, mutism, or aphasia
• persons with psychosis, neurological damage, acute intoxication, or other cognitive impairment (all of which were determined informally in the field by non-clinical research staff in consultation with a supervisor)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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1,782 participants in 10 patient groups

V1: Control

No Intervention group

Description:

This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with no symptoms of mental illness.

V2: Schizophrenia

Experimental group

Description:

As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with untreated and symptomatic schizophrenia.

Treatment:

Other: Survey questionnaire

V3: Schizophrenia + Tx with Response

Experimental group

Description:

As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with schizophrenia, successfully treated with complete response.

Treatment:

Other: Survey questionnaire

V4: Schizophrenia + Tx with Relapse

Experimental group

Description:

As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with schizophrenia, successfully treated with partial relapse.

Treatment:

Other: Survey questionnaire

Version 5: Bipolar

Experimental group

Description:

As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with untreated and symptomatic bipolar disorder.

Treatment:

Other: Survey questionnaire

V6: Bipolar + Tx with Response

Experimental group

Description:

As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with bipolar disorder, successfully treated with complete response.

Treatment:

Other: Survey questionnaire

V7: Bipolar + Tx with Relapse

Experimental group

Description:

As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with bipolar disorder, successfully treated with partial relapse.

Treatment:

Other: Survey questionnaire

V8: Depression

Experimental group

Description:

As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with untreated and symptomatic major depressive disorder.

Treatment:

Other: Survey questionnaire

V9: Depression + Tx with Response

Experimental group

Description:

As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with major depressive disorder, successfully treated with complete response.

Treatment:

Other: Survey questionnaire

V10: Depression + Tx with Relapse

Experimental group

Description:

As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young woman with major depressive disorder, successfully treated with partial relapse.

Treatment:

Other: Survey questionnaire