Mental Illness, Social Isolation
Conditions
Keywords
Mental Illness, Community Participation, Stigma, Photovoice
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to test a peer-led intervention intended to promote the community living and participation of individuals with psychiatric disabilities entitled Bridging Community Gaps Photovoice (BCGP). The intervention targets increasing community involvement of individuals with psychiatric disabilities through reduction in self-stigma and perceived stigma, enhancing opportunities for community participation, and support to achieve community participation goals.
Detailed description
The BCGP intervention is 6 months long and the investigators expect that participants will experience lower self and perceived stigma, increased community participation and sense of belonging, and improved psychosocial functioning and personal growth after the intervention. The intervention is comprised of a 12-week class that meets once a week for two hours, followed by three booster sessions - one per month in the three months following the class, and up to 24 sessions of individual support as needed throughout the 6 months provided on a weekly basis either in person or by phone. The purpose of the individual support is to reinforce the class activities and to ensure the participants meets their community participation goal. The proposed study is a randomized trial which will be conducted at Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation (BUCPR) in Massachusetts, the Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD) in Colorado, and the Greater Bridgeport Mental Health Center (GBMHC) in Connecticut.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALBridging Community Gaps Photovoice (BCGP)
Participants assigned to this group will be part of the 6-month long BCGP intervention, which involves a 12- week class that meets weekly, followed by three booster sessions - one per month in the three months following the class, and up to 24 sessions of individual support as needed throughout the 6 months provided on a weekly basis either in person or by phone. The BCGP classes follow a manualized curriculum with sessions that combine didactic information, Photovoice exercises, and group discussions to empower participants in pursuing community participation goals, all refined with input from individuals with a lived experience.
Sponsors
Mental Health Center of Denver
Connecticut State, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Riverside Community Care
Boston University Charles River Campus
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. are 18 or older. 2. are recipients of services at research sites due to having a DSM-V diagnosis of mental illness, including dual diagnosis (dual diagnosis refers to co-occurring mental illness and alcohol/ substance use disorder). 3. are interested in enhancing their community participation. 4. are not currently receiving individual peer support services. 5. are able to read and write in English.
Exclusion criteria
1)Inability to give full and knowing consent.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| UCLA Loneliness Scale | Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months to 9 months to 12 months | is a 20-item 4-point Likert-type scale, widely used measure of loneliness and social isolation. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from .89 to .94. |
| Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Community Participation | Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months to 9 months to 12 months | Consists of a set of objective and subjective measures of community belonging, inclusion and participation. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Approaches to Coping with Anti-Stigma | Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months to 9 months to 12 months | 27-item instrument with a 4 point scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree) measuring strategies to cope with stigma: secrecy, withdrawal, educating, challenging, and distancing. |
| Personal Growth and Recovery Scale | Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months to 9 months to 12 months | 25-item, 4 point scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree) of items measuring psychosocial functioning and recovery. |
| Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale | Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months to 9 months to 12 months | 29-item, 4-point scale from (strongly disagree to strongly agree) assesses behaviors, thoughts and feelings that are self-stigmatizing including alienation, stereotype endorsement, social withdrawal, stigma resistance. |
| Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS - R) | Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months to 9 months to 12 months | A 24-item scale that measures: mood disturbances, anxiety, interpersonal and role functioning, daily living skills, psychotic symptoms, impulsivity and substance use |
| Community Goal Achievement Scale | Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months to 9 months to 12 months | adapted from Goal Attainment Scale, provides a structured approach to determining goal achievement regardless of the type or uniqueness of goal . |
| The Stigma Scale | Change from Baseline to 3 months, 3 months to 6 months, 6 months to 9 months, 9 months to 12 months | 28 item, 5 point scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree) measuring experienced and anticipated stigma. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed