The effect of stigmatization education on the social distancing of nursing students toward patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of a program designed to reduce nursing students' social distancing from individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. METHOD: This experimental study was designed using a pretest, a posttest, and a control group. All participants were nursing students, of which 25 were included in the intervention group and 23 were placed in the control group. A 13-week program was offered to the intervention group. The measuring instruments consisted of a personal information form and the Social Distance Scale. Data were analyzed using the two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. FINDINGS: A significant difference was found between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The Education Program on Stigmatization in Schizophrenia is an effective intervention that reduces the social distance of nursing students from individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.