ERIC Number: EJ1113369
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Oct
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0098-6283
EISSN: N/A
Using Celebrities in Abnormal Psychology as Teaching Tools to Decrease Stigma and Increase Help Seeking
Ferrari, Anne
Teaching of Psychology, v43 n4 p329-333 Oct 2016
Research shows that a very small percentage of those who suffer from mental illness seek professional help and fear of stigma is a principal factor why individuals are reluctant to obtain assistance. This study evaluated whether using examples of celebrities' experiences with mental illness as a form of "contact" with a mentally ill person would reduce public stigma toward mental illness as well as stigma toward obtaining psychological assistance. Data were collected using a pre-post design from 38 (experimental group) and 17 (control group) college undergraduate students enrolled in an abnormal psychology course. Compared to the control group, the use of celebrities as narratives to teach about mental illness resulted in reduced public stigma toward mental illness and reduced stigma toward seeking help.
Descriptors: Psychology, Teaching Methods, Help Seeking, Mental Disorders, Social Bias, Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Undergraduate Students, Personal Narratives, Outcomes of Education, Health Services, Social Distance, Measures (Individuals), Liberal Arts, Females, Single Sex Colleges, Statistical Analysis, Likert Scales, Pretests Posttests, Questionnaires
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A