Educational interventions to reduce mental health stigma toward patients among healthcare professionals and trainees: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.
Yawei Shan, Mengnan Zhao, Xuemei Zhou et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed randomised controlled trials of educational interventions to reduce mental health stigma among healthcare professionals and trainees. It included 19 reports covering 21 studies. Immediately after intervention, explicit negative attitudes improved across professionals and trainees (SMD = - 0.38; 95% CI [-0.53, - 0.23]). Intended behavioural outcomes improved among practising healthcare professionals but not students, and these effects were not maintained at follow-up. The review found no significant improvement in knowledge or social distance; evidence certainty ranged from very low to moderate.
Key findings
- Explicit negative attitudes decreased immediately after intervention among professionals and trainees (SMD = - 0.38; 95% CI [-0.53, - 0.23]).
- Intended behavioural outcomes improved among healthcare professionals (SMD = 0.57, 5% CI [0.03 to 1.12]), but not students; effects were not maintained at follow-up.
- No significant improvements were found in mental health knowledge or social distance; affective outcomes remained inconclusive.
Why it matters
Stigma among healthcare professionals can impede person-centred care, so evidence about educational approaches is relevant to efforts to improve clinical interactions. The findings suggest possible short-term gains in attitudes and intended behaviour, but do not establish durable change or consistent improvement across outcome domains. The low-to-moderate certainty of evidence warrants cautious interpretation.
What to keep in mind
Evidence certainty ranged from very low to moderate. Affective outcomes were based on few heterogeneous studies, and behavioural effects were not maintained at follow-up.