Podcast Creation and Nursing Students’ Attitudes Toward People With Mental Illness

BACKGROUND: Mental health stigma undermines nursing care quality and contributes to health inequities. PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in students' attitudes toward people with mental illness and explore their learning experiences after participating in a project-based podcast creation activity. METHODS: A one-group pretest-posttest design with qualitative evaluation was used. Thirty-five undergraduate nursing students completed an 18-week course. Attitudes were examined before and after the course by using the Attitudes Toward Mental Illness scale. Written reflections were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Attitudes toward people with mental illness positively changed after the course (t = 7.55, P < .001), with a large effect size (Hedges g = 2.01). Qualitative findings indicated greater empathy, less stereotypical thinking, stronger professional identity in health communication, and personal growth through reflection and collaboration after the course. CONCLUSIONS: Project-based podcast production is feasible and supports positive attitudinal changes, empathy development, and professional identity formation among nursing students.