Media intervention and mental health: can media modify college student attitudes?

Purpose The purpose of the study is to determine whether an educational digital media intervention can influence the attitudes of college students about people with mental illness. Design/methodology/approach A convenience sample of pre-clinical health science and human service major college students was exposed to digital media (a mental health documentary and a video of a mental health peer advocate) and provided a mental health attitudes survey (MICA-4) prior to and following the media exposure. Fifty-eight matched student responses (pre- and post-intervention) were used for comparison analysis (Student’s t tests) associated with quantitative methods. For qualitative methods, 28 also participated in focus groups. Findings Following media exposure, students demonstrate more positive attitudes about people with mental illness, with increased motivation and appreciation for learning about mental health and recovery. The pre-clinical nursing and human service major college students also indicate having improved comfort for engaging people with mental illness. Research limitations/implications Participants in the study represent a convenience sample, thus, results support lower external validity. In addition, fewer student responses at post-intervention for completing the MICA-4 may have influenced post-test reliability. Therefore, results should be interpreted with caution. Practical implications Digital media can be used as a practical intervention to challenge mental health stigma, in contrast to clinical instruction site placements and didactic forums involving a substantive time commitment for college student learning and socialization. Social implications There is a substantive need to limit stigma and discrimination toward people with mental illness. The media intervention used in this project challenges mental health stigma. Originality/value Current evidence regarding the effectiveness of media interventions to improve attitudes about mental health themes is limited. The author chose a path of study to better understand the value of select media in challenging mental health stigma.