Expanded-Coming-Out-Proud Group on Reducing Self-stigma for People With a Severe Mental Illness- A Randomized Control Trial With Six-month Follow-up

This study was a multicentre randomized controlled trial. Participants were recruited from four community-based mental health centres in Hong Kong through open recruitment via promotional activities and referrals from these centres. Those who consented to participate were randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group using computer software administered by a research team member who was not involved in data collection or implementation of the ECOP group. Block randomisation was used to ensure equal numbers in the treatment and control groups. The control group received treatment as usual (TAU) provided by a community mental health centre, including interest classes and recreational activities. In addition to TAU, the intervention group received an ECOP group led by an experienced social worker and a peer social worker from a community mental health centre. A research assistant who was blinded to the randomized allocation of participants conducted data collection and outcome assessment with standardized assessment tools at baseline, post-treatment, and at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups

The ECOP incorporated the advantages of both cognitive behavioural therapy and the Coming Out Proud. On one hand, the ECOP, based on the cognitive behavioural therapy, helped participants learn skills to transform self-stigmatising beliefs to reduce self-stigma. On the other hand, the ECOP, adapted from the Coming Out Proud, empowered them to face social stigma effectively by disclosing their mental illness to appropriate social systems, such as peers, support groups, and the media, with an appropriate level of self-disclosure. The ECOP consisted of 12 group sessions, one per week, each lasting one and a half hours, led by an experienced social worker and a peer support worker.

Participants in the control group received TAU, including interest classes and leisure activities provided by collaborating community mental health centres, which were the same as those received by the intervention group.

For all analyses, two-tailed p values of < 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Data analyses will be performed using SPSS 29.0 (IBM Corporation, 2024). For hypotheses (1) and (2), within group intervention effects on all outcome assessment scores were investigated by using repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA), while between group intervention effects were investigated by using group x time repeated measures of ANOVA. Effect sizes were calculated using partial η2, with values of 0.01, 0.06 and 0.14 considered small, moderate and large effects, respectively (Cohen, 1988). For hypothesis (3), the predictive power of the improved ISMI and PESAS scores from pre-intervention to post-intervention on the improved BDI and RSE score were investigated and compared using multiple linear regression analysis, using stepwise selection procedure to investigate the relative predictive power of the improved ISMI score and PESAS score.

Inclusion criteria

• aged 18 years or older;
• diagnosed with a mental illness by their medical officers according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition, Text Revision) (American Psychiatric Association, 2022); and
• receiving community mental health services provided by collaborative local non-governmental organisations

Exclusion criteria

• having suicidal risk;
• unstable mental state;
• were unable to participate independently in group activities; and
• exhibited disruptive behaviour