WeARTolerance: Evaluating the impact of an arts-based program to reduce mental health-related stigma in young people

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314994
• Publication Date: 2024-12-31T18:48:11Z
• Authors: Ana Beato; Leonor Pereira da...; Ana Carvalho; Sara Albuquerque; Isabel Santos
• Keywords: Stigma; Social stigma

The stigma surrounding mental health remains a significant barrier to help-seeking and well-being in youth populations. invisibility of issues highlights the critical need for improved knowledge reduction, underscoring urgency tackling this issue. Arts-based interventions have shown promise addressing stigma, yet comprehensive longitudinal studies community settings are limited. This research evaluates "WeARTolerance'' arts-based program reducing among diverse youths. integrated psychoeducational creative activities (e.g., visual arts, cinema, music, theatre) explore themes, with 125 teenagers young adult participants (M = 13.70; SD 2.06). present mixed-method study was split into two phases complementary objectives: 1) evaluate quantitatively program's impact social related outcomes; 2) in-depth qualitative feedback about program. For first phase, reliable self-report questionnaires were used measure knowledge, intergroup anxiety, distance pre-, post-, 6-month follow-up periods. Participants' age past psychiatric fixed factors random intercepts, mixed effects models analyze attitudinal outcomes across time. In second phase validation, nine aged between 12 16 participated focus groups conducted three months after Its contents underwent thorough analysis using content techniques. quantitative results from Phase 1 demonstrated decreasing trend all primary outcomes. 2, acknowledged activities' relevance, reported overall satisfaction program, showed great enthusiasm willingness learn more. like "WeARTolerance" valuable challenging fostering understanding populations provide an alternative way increase literacy. proposes reduce through elements, early intervention, psychoeducation, involving collaborations professionals artists promote engagement. Future should include indirect contact randomized controlled interventions.