B6.02 - Roundtable: Dismantling Stigma: Using a Mental Illness Stigma Framework to Inform Mental Health Awareness Programs

Brief Abstract Summary: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) provides a unique opportunity to educate diverse populations on the importance of mental health awareness and the role stigma plays in help-seeking behaviors. Despite national efforts, 1 in 5 American adults live with mental illness with stigma being a significant barrier to individuals seeking help. The assessment analyzed MISF components and the MHFA curriculum to identify parallels and gaps. The findings provide opportunities to tailor the MHA curriculum to address stigma and improve overall mental health awareness efforts effectively. By assessing the alignment between MISF concepts and the MHFA curriculum, this study intends to initiate a discussion between mental health awareness and stigma to better empower lay individuals with knowledge and skills to reduce stigma and increase the promotion of mental health support.

Detailed abstract description:

Background: Mental health awareness (MHA) is the understanding and recognition of mental health issues and their impact on individuals and communities. MHA involves collaborative efforts in educating people about mental health conditions, reducing stigma, and promoting the importance of mental well-being.
Stigma can discourage individuals from seeking help or treatment due to fear of judgment or discrimination. Approximately 20% of American adults experience a mental illness annually, while only 46.2% of the individuals affected by a mental health condition report seeking treatment. Stigma remains one of the most significant barriers to mental health care, with 31% of adults reporting they would not seek help because of concerns about what others might think. Studies report that MHA can increase help-seeking intentions by 33%. The relationship between stigma and mental health awareness initiates a focal point for programmatic efforts.
The Mental Illness Stigma Framework (MISF) is a widely used model for understanding the mechanisms of mental illness stigma among people targeted by and perpetrating mental illness stigma. The MISF conceptualizes how individuals perceive stigma and how it impacts mental health outcomes. Since the 1940’s there have been national efforts in place to address mental health issues among Americans.
One of the efforts includes The National Council of Well-Being, which is an organization that helps drive mental health policy and social change. The National Council developed Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) as a training certificate program to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to provide initial support to someone experiencing a mental health crisis or problem. One of MHFA's main objectives is to reduce stigma by fostering understanding and empathy towards mental health conditions.

Methods: In order to assess the role stigma plays in mental health awareness, the mental health team explored alignment and examined gaps between the MISF components and the MHFA curriculum. The findings highlight gaps between the MISF concepts and the MHFA curriculum and were identified as one of the training needs. Acknowledging these gaps provided the team the opportunity to better inform mental health training programs and areas that should be emphasized to improve overall mental health awareness efforts.

Conclusions: MHA is vital for decreasing stigma as well as building a more informed and compassionate society. The MHFA training educates many lay individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to increase MHA and reduce stigma. This assessment provided the opportunity to tailor the curriculum to expand MHA needs and initiate a discussion for the development of more effective approaches to mental health promotion and support. This analysis will help inform strategies to reduce stigma and improve mental health outcomes.