Post-Master’s Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Students’ Perspectives on Addressing Mental Health Stigma in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Qualitative Description Study

Many people with mental health disorders experience mental health related stigma. This type of stigma may impact mental health care and treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic further impacted mental health stigma, indicating a need for psychiatric/mental health nurses to become involved in efforts to address mental health stigma. The purpose of this study was to understand psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) students' perspectives on how to address and reduce mental health stigma in the post-COVID era. A qualitative description design was used to collect data from a formal writing exercise with 29 PMHNP students at the end of a one-semester course on theories and psychotherapy modalities. Responses were analyzed with qualitative rigor to form categories. Participants identified six major categories, such as the responsible use of social media and the use of destigmatizing language, and five minor methods, such as partnering with primary care providers and mental health providers' self-care, to address and reduce mental health stigma. This study's results have implications for psychiatric/mental health nursing education, practice, and research.