Effectiveness of participatory video in lowering stigma against people with mental, neurological and substance use disorders in Kenya.

Background: Globally, stigma associated with mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders is rampant and a barrier to good health and overall well-being of people with these conditions. Person-centred digital approaches such as participatory video may reduce stigma, but evidence on their effectiveness in Africa is absent.

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of participatory video in reducing mental health-related stigma in a resource-limited setting.

Method: We evaluated the effectiveness of using participatory video and face-to-face interaction between people with MNS disorders and a target audience in lowering stigma among 420 people living in Kilifi, Kenya. Changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviour (KAB) were measured by comparing baseline scores with scores immediately after watching the participatory videos and 4 months after the intervention. Sociodemographic correlates of stigma scores were examined using multivariable linear regression models.

Results: Compared with baseline, KAB scores significantly improved at both time points, suggesting reduced stigma levels. At 4 months, the changes in scores were: knowledge (β = 0.20, 95% CI 0.16-0.25; < 0.01), liberal attitude (β = 1.08, 95% CI 0.98-1.17; < 0.01), sympathetic attitude (β = 0.52, 95% CI 0.42-0.62; < 0.01), tolerant attitude (β = 0.72, 95% CI 0.61-0.83; < 0.01) and behaviour (β = 0.37, 95% CI 0.31-0.43; < 0.01). Sociodemographic variables were significantly correlated with KAB scores; the correlations were not consistent across the domains.

Conclusions: Participatory video is a feasible and effective strategy in improving knowledge, attitudes and intended behaviour in a resource-limited setting. Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms through which it lowers stigma and to examine long-term sustainability and the effectiveness of multicomponent interventions.