Effects of Internet-based Storytelling Programs in Reducing Mental Illness Stigma With Mediation by Interactivity and Stigma Content

Sponsor

Chinese University of Hong Kong (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT05333848

Collaborator

(none)

263

Enrollment

Location

Arms

2.2

Actual Duration (Months)

119.5

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

Mental illness stigma has been a concerning issue globally due to its adverse effects on the recovery of people with mental illness and may delay help-seeking for mental health out of the concern of being stigmatized. With technological advancement, Internet-based mental health stigma reduction interventions have been developed to combat mental illness stigma and the effects have been promising.

The present study aimed to examine the differential effects of Internet-based storytelling programs varied on level of interactivity and stigma content in reducing mental illness stigma.

In the present study, the investigator hypothesized that an Internet-based storytelling program with a combination of interactivity and stigma content would lead to the most significant reduction in public stigma, microaggression, and social distance from people with mental illnesses, followed by Internet-based storytelling program with stigma content-only and interactivity-only, compared with control. Secondly, the investigator hypothesized that the effects observed in stigma reduction would be mediated by perceived autonomy and immersiveness due to the presence of interactivity.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
COMBO Condition STIGMA Condition INTERACT Condition CONTROL Condition	Behavioral: Internet-based storytelling programs with interactivity and stigma content Behavioral: Internet-based storytelling programs with stigma content only Behavioral: Internet-based storytelling programs with interactivity only Behavioral: Internet-based storytelling programs with no interactivity and no stigma content	N/A

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

263 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Factorial Assignment

Intervention Model Description:

A 2x2 factorial design randomized controlled trialA 2x2 factorial design randomized controlled trial

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Other

Official Title:

Effects of Internet-based Storytelling Programs in Reducing Mental Illness Stigma With Mediation by Interactivity and Stigma Content

Actual Study Start Date :

Dec 27, 2020

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Mar 4, 2021

Actual Study Completion Date :

Mar 4, 2021

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: COMBO condition An interactive stigma content website.	Behavioral: Internet-based storytelling programs with interactivity and stigma content Participants viewed an interactive stigma content website. Within 10 minutes post-experiment, participants completed the post-experiment questionnaire. One week after the experiment, participants completed the follow-up questionnaire.
Experimental: STIGMA condition A non-interactive stigma content website.	Behavioral: Internet-based storytelling programs with stigma content only Participants viewed a non-interactive stigma content website. Within 10 minutes post-experiment, participants completed the post-experiment questionnaire. One week after the experiment, participants completed the follow-up questionnaire.
Experimental: INTERACT condition An interactive non-stigma content website.	Behavioral: Internet-based storytelling programs with interactivity only Participants viewed an interactive non-stigma content website. Within 10 minutes post-experiment, participants completed the post-experiment questionnaire. One week after the experiment, participants completed the follow-up questionnaire.
Placebo Comparator: CONTROL condition A non-interactive non-stigma content website.	Behavioral: Internet-based storytelling programs with no interactivity and no stigma content Participants viewed a non-interactive non-stigma content website. Within 10 minutes post-experiment, participants completed the post-experiment questionnaire. One week after the experiment, participants completed the follow-up questionnaire.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Change from Baseline Public Stigma towards People with Mental Illness within 10 minutes post-experiment, and at 1-week follow-up [baseline, within 10 minutes post-experiment, and 1-week follow-up]
The 21-item Public Stigma Scale-Mental Illness-Short Version was used to assess mental illness public stigma and personal advocacy. Each item was rated on a 6-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Reverse scoring was done for personal advocacy items. Higher scores indicated a higher level of public stigma towards people with mental illness.
Change from Baseline Microaggression within 10 minutes post-experiment, and at 1-week follow-up [baseline, within 10 minutes post-experiment, and 1-week follow-up]
Microaggression was measured by the 17-item Mental Illness Microaggressions Scale, which covers assumption of inferiority, patronization, and fear of mental illness. Each item was rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicated a higher level of mircroaggression.
Change from Baseline Social Distance from People with Mental Illness within 10 minutes post-experiment, and at 1-week follow-up [baseline, within 10 minutes post-experiment, and 1-week follow-up]
The 8-item Social Distancing Scale was used to measure the social distance from people with mental illnesses. Each item was rated on a 6-point Likert scale from 1 (very willing) to 6 (very unwilling). Higher scores indicated a higher level of social distance from people with mental illness.
Perceived autonomy [within 10 minutes post-experiment]
To assess perceived autonomy of the Web page experience, the 10-item Self Determination Scale (SDS) was used in the post-experiment questionnaire. Each item was a pair of opposite statements, where participants rated their level of perceived choice and self-awareness with a slider from 1 (only A feels true) to 5 (only B feels true). Higher scores indicated a higher level of perceived autonomy.
Immersiveness [within 10 minutes post-experiment]
The 15-item Transportation Scale was used to assess participants' immersiveness in the Web experience. It had a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (very much) to 4 (not at all). Items 2, 5 and 9 were framed negatively. All the items are scored in the direction that higher scores indicated a higher level of immersivenss.