Effectiveness and types of interventions to reduce mental illness-related stigma among Medical university students: A literature review (1997-2020)

Abstract

There is a high prevalence of stigma among medical students towards mental illness, which can have far reaching negative consequences. It is essential to intervene and modify their preconceptions in order to fight against stigma. The objective of this study is to describe the types and effectiveness of interventions to reduce mental illness-related stigma among medical university students through a review of the literature published from 1997 to 2020. A systematic search was carried out in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science (WOS) and Cochrane Library, following the PRISMA methodology. After the search, 87 manuscripts were found.

49 documents met the selection criteria, and 6 additional texts were included after a search for related studies. 44 studies were assessed, with a global participation of 20.196 MEDICINE students. In 97% of the cases, the methods of intervention for the reduction of stigma towards mental disorders (TM)were effective. 16 different types of interventions were found, with a limited number of methodologies. Teaching practices are the most effective in the long-term, together with a positive medical understanding, the search for help and the in vivo experiential contact, which are presented as strong strategies to combat stigmatizing attitudes.