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Evaluating the Impact of an Anti-stigma Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Willingness to Counsel People Living with Mental Illness

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Abstract

Third-year pharmacy students (n = 88) participated in an anti-stigma intervention program consisting of presentations, videos, discussion and active-learning exercises. Willingness to counsel (WTC) people with mental illness (MI) was evaluated using immediate pre and post-tests comparing diabetes, depression and schizophrenia. At pre-test, WTC diabetes was highest (higher = increased WTC) while schizophrenia was the lowest. There were no statistically significant differences between pre/post-test WTC for diabetes and depression, while schizophrenia WTC increased significantly (p < 0.05). At post-test, diabetes WTC was significantly higher than depression and schizophrenia (p < 0.0001). Regression results for WTC depression showed that comfortability and gender were significant (p < 0.05) predictors. Regression results for WTC schizophrenia showed that comfortability was a significant (p < 0.05) predictor. As highly accessible healthcare providers, pharmacists have the potential to positively impact healthcare, but this depends on WTC. Colleges of pharmacy may consider instituting policies that support experiential education involving counseling people living with MI, as this may increase comfortability.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express our appreciation to Dr. Karen Rascati for providing the opportunity to conduct our intervention in her course. Additionally, we would like to thank the students who participated in this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Outcomes and Pharmacy Practice Division, The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, 2409 University Ave., STOP A1930, Austin, TX, 78712-1120, USA

    Benita A. Bamgbade, Jamie C. Barner & Kentya H. Ford

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  1. Benita A. Bamgbade
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  2. Jamie C. Barner
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  3. Kentya H. Ford
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Correspondence to Jamie C. Barner.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Bamgbade, B.A., Barner, J.C. & Ford, K.H. Evaluating the Impact of an Anti-stigma Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Willingness to Counsel People Living with Mental Illness. Community Ment Health J 53, 525–533 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-016-0075-6

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