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Effect of a Randomized Anti-Stigma School-Based Intervention on Received and Delivered Problem Behaviors
We examined the short-term effectiveness of a randomized school-based intervention aimed at reducing mental health stigma on self-reported receiving and delivering problem behaviors. An ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of 721 sixth-graders from 14 schools comprised this unique study, which took place from September 2011 to December 2012 in Texas. Interventions included an anti-stigma curriculum, contact with a person who has a mental illness, and use of supplemental printed materials. A pre/post survey included a Problem Behavior Frequency Aggression Scale, a 19-item measure that assesses physical, non-physical and relational aggression among youth. Receiving the curriculum significantly decreased delivering problem behaviors when compared to the contact (p=0.013) and no-intervention control (p=0.003). The curriculum also decreased received problem behaviors but this effect did not achieve statistical significance. Long-term follow-up data of the sample will test the effectiveness of the intervention on inducing sustained changes of receiving and delivering problems behaviors. Based on these findings, the anti-stigma curriculum may be used to target problem behaviors among youth.
Learning Areas:
EpidemiologyImplementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe baseline prevalence of self-reported receiving and delivering problem behaviors among a sixth-grade sample.
Evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based anti-stigma curriculum, contact with a person who has a mental illness, and use of supplemental materials on receiving and delivering problem behaviors among sixth grade students.
Keyword(s): Mental Health, Youth Violence
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a research assistant on this federally-funded project since June 2011 and am a PhD candidate in epidemiology. I have worked closely with the research team on the implementation and evaluation of this research, and have conducted site visits to the schools participating in the study. I presented at APHA in 2011 in the area of relationship violence and community violence among adolescents and at APHA in 2013 in a Mental Health Section symposium.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.