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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03656770

Measuring Beliefs and Norms About Persons With Mental Illness

Survey experiment to estimate drivers of mental illness stigma

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Key information

Conditions

Mental Illness Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Bipolar Disorder Bipolar and Related Disorders Depression Mental Disorders Mood Disorders Schizophrenia Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Mbarara, Uganda

About this study

Despite significant advances in scientific understanding of brain and substance use disorders accompanied by significant advances in treatment and improvements in prognosis, mental illness remains highly stigmatized throughout the world. Previous studies suggest that portraying mental illness as treatable can reduce negative attitudes toward persons with mental illness. This randomized controlled trial compares the effects of exposing study participants to vignettes portraying persons with untreated and symptomatic mental illness vs. treated mental illness with complete response vs. treated mental illness with relapse. It is hypothesized, based on prior work, that study participants exposed to vignettes depicting treated mental illness with completed response would have the greatest effect on reducing negative attitudes toward persons with mental illness, followed by treated mental illness with relapse and untreated and symptomatic mental illness.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • all persons who considered Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence and who were capable of providing consent

Exclusion criteria

  • minors younger than 18 years of age, with the exception of emancipated minors
  • persons who did not consider Nyakabare their primary place of residence, e.g., persons who happened to be visiting Nyakabare at the time of the survey or who owned a home in Nyakabare but spent most of their time outside the parish
  • persons with whom research staff could not communicate, e.g., due to deafness, mutism, or aphasia
  • persons with psychosis, neurological damage, acute intoxication, or other cognitive impairment (all of which were determined informally in the field by non-clinical research staff in consultation with a supervisor)

Treatment and study plan

Survey questionnaire

Other

Each version of the questionnaire portrays a young Ugandan woman with different profiles of illness severity, treatment, and treatment response.

Primary outcomes

  1. Social Distance

    Time frame: Immediate (assessed with respect to the study participant's beliefs at a single time point, which is the time at which the survey is administered)

    Willingness to have the woman portrayed in the vignette to marry into the study participant's family (single item culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study)

  2. Perceived Norms about Social Distance

    Time frame: Immediate (assessed with respect to the study participant's beliefs at a single time point, which is the time at which the survey is administered)

    Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people would be willing to have the woman portrayed in the vignette to marry into their families (single item culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study)

  3. Negative Attitudes (Attribution)

    Time frame: Immediate (assessed with respect to the study participant's beliefs at a single time point, which is the time at which the survey is administered)

    Personal belief that the symptoms of the woman portrayed in the vignette represent divine punishment (single item culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study)

  4. Perceived Norms about Negative Attitudes (Attribution)

    Time frame: Immediate (assessed with respect to the study participant's beliefs at a single time point, which is the time at which the survey is administered)

    Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people believe that the symptoms of the woman portrayed in the vignette represent divine punishment (single item culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study)

  5. Negative Attitudes (Shame)

    Time frame: Immediate (assessed with respect to the study participant's beliefs at a single time point, which is the time at which the survey is administered)

    Personal belief that the symptoms of the woman portrayed in the vignette bring shame upon her family

  6. Perceived Norms about Negative Attitudes (Shame)

    Time frame: Immediate (assessed with respect to the study participant's beliefs at a single time point, which is the time at which the survey is administered)

    Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people believe that the symptoms of the woman portrayed in the vignette bring shame upon her family (single item culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Measuring Beliefs and Norms About Persons With Mental Illness in Rural Uganda: A Randomized Survey Experiment

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Sep 4, 2018
Registry last updated
Aug 12, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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