Stigmatizing with Discourse: The Effect of Peer Education on Student Nurses' Beliefs About Mental Illness

Negative beliefs toward mental illness are prevalent among nursing students, posing various risks for the future care of individuals with mental illness. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of a peer education intervention on the reduction of negative beliefs held by nursing students regarding mental illness. The study was conducted in a quasi-experimental design with a single group pre-test, post-test and follow-up test. It was conducted with 87 nursing students between December 2022 and February 2023. Data were collected using the “Participant Information Form” and the “Beliefs Toward Mental Illness Scale” (BMI) at pre-training, the first week after the training, and the second month after. The participants were first-, second-, and third-year nursing students who had not previously received education about mental illness. 79.3% of the participants were female, 72.4% lived with their families, and 67.8% had an income equal to their expenses. Furthermore, 50.6% said they would seek help from a psychologist if a relative showed mental symptoms. A significant difference was found in the BMI total and subscale scores before training, in the first week, and in the second month after training (p<0.05). Peer education applied to nursing students is effective in reducing negative beliefs toward mental illness, and the intervention’s effect continued to increase up to the second-month post-education.