Effectiveness of a brief digitalized psychoeducational intervention in reducing mental health stigma associated with psychosis: a single-arm Singaporean pilot trial

ABSTRACT

Public stigma towards psychosis constitutes a major obstacle hindering the provision of evidence-based psychotherapy. Such attitudes appear particularly concerning in South-East Asia, where people with complex mental health needs avoid seeking professional help due to high levels of stigmatization and discrimination. This study investigated the effects of a brief digitalized psychoeducational intervention on reduction of stigma associated with psychosis among young adults in Singapore. 157 participants were recruited and completed a single-arm efficacy trial. Pre- and post-intervention levels of stigma were assessed with standardized measures. Significant reduction across cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioural dimensions of stigma was achieved post-intervention. Comparing with prior studies reporting elaborate and resource-intensive public mental health education initiatives, our results suggest that similar, if not greater, outcomes might be achieved via single-session electronically delivered interventions, particularly among younger sections of Asian societies.

KEYWORDS:

• Mental health
• psychosis
• stigma
• discrimination
• psychoeducation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

In accordance with the received ethical approval, the de-identified and anonymized data pertinent to this study is being stored securely at the National University of Singapore for the duration of 10 years following the conclusion of the study. It will be made available to other researchers upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Ethics

Ethical approval was granted by the Departmental Research Ethics Committee (DERC) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), which was subsequently endorsed by the NUS Institutional Review Board (IRB), reference code 2021-September-18. Our research has conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki and all participants provided an informed written consent to take part in the study.

Financial support

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pawel D. Mankiewicz

Pawel D. Mankiewicz is a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, Deputy Director of Clinical Psychology Programme, and Clinical and Research Lead of Clinical & Health Psychology Centre at the National University of Singapore. He is also an External Examiner at the University of Exeter, Applied Psychological Practice Centre of Excellence. He has an internationally established expertise in evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments of psychosis, persistent mood disorders, bipolar affective disorder, generalized anxiety, and complex traumas. During his extensive clinical career, he has worked for Cambridge University Health Partners (University of Cambridge Teaching Trust), acute psychiatric wards and assertive outreach teams in East of England, and early intervention services in Greater London. Academically, prior to his current appointment, he worked as a Clinical Teaching Fellow at the University College London. His research interests focus on subjective wellbeing in psychosis, positive therapeutic approaches to complex mental ill-health, cognitive restructuring and graded behavioural exposure in the treatment of paranoia and voice hearing, and mental health stigma reduction strategies. He has co-developed a strengths-based cognitive behavioural therapy model for psychosis, and cognitive therapy models for paranoid, schizotypal and schizoid personality disorders, which he popularizes internationally.

Shanna K.L. Mun

Shanna K. L. Mun is an Associate Psychologist at KK Women’s ad Children Hospital, SingHealth, Singapore.