Nurses are on the front lines of mental health care, but what if the people training to become nurses carry hidden biases? A new review of 25 studies reveals that mental health stigma among nursing students is still moderate to high. That means students may hold negative attitudes or beliefs about people with mental health conditions, which can affect the care they provide.
The review looked at different ways to reduce this stigma. Some programs focused on mental health training, others on empathy building, and still others on clinical internships where students work directly with patients. The most effective approach? A combination of these strategies. Multi-component interventions that mix education, empathy exercises, and real-world experience showed the most promise.
But the evidence isn't rock solid. This is a review of existing studies, not a single large trial. The results varied across programs, and the review didn't report specific numbers or effect sizes. So while the findings point in a clear direction, we need more research to know exactly what works best.
For nursing educators and students, the message is hopeful: stigma isn't fixed, but it can be changed with the right mix of training and exposure.
