ABSTRACT
Negative stigma against depression, especially among teenagers, may lead to inappropriate professional treatment, thus the symptoms get worse and eventually lead to suicidal tendencies. Psychoeducation is one of many ways used by healthcare professionals to reduce stigma against depression especially among teenagers. This study was accomplished to measure the effectiveness of psychoeducation to reduce stigma against depression by comparing the level of stigma against depression pre- and post-psychoeducation. This was analytic, cross-sectional research. The study focused on 37 teenagers who were given psychoeducation by psychology professionals. The tool that was used to measure stigma was the Depression Stigma Scale (DSS). It has two nine-item subscales assumed to measure personal stigma and perceived stigma. The DSS was given before and after the psychoeducation. Results obtained from unpaired t-tests showed two-tailed p value 0.90 (95% CI –1.63 to 1.43) for personal stigma and 0.35 (95% CI –1.09 to 3.05) for perceived stigma. This study showed that psychoeducation cannot reduce the level of stigma against depression among teenagers. We need more modern mental health promotion with longer duration to gain a more positive perception.
