Exploring Mental Illness Stigma Interventions in an Online Classroom Environment

Authors

  • Kelly Barcza-Renner Franklin University Author
  • Meghan B. Owenz Florida International University Author
  • Trent Nguyen Franklin University Author
  • Michelle Anthony Franklin University Author
  • Megan Tewksbury Marywood University Author

Keywords:

abnormal psychology, pedagogy, Beliefs About Mental Illness Scale, inquiry-based learning

Abstract

Mental illness stigma has a detrimental impact on self-esteem, self-efficacy, and the willingness to pursue treatment (Downs & Eisenberg, 2012). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a single inquiry-based learning activity in reducing mental illness stigma attitudes in an online, college abnormal psychology course. In contrast to the original study (Owenz et al., 2025), there was no effect of the inquiry-based learning activity on mental illness stigma. The results of this study suggest that this single-session inquiry-based learning activity may not be effective when translated to an online environment.

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Published

2026-11-03

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Exploring Mental Illness Stigma Interventions in an Online Classroom Environment. (2026). Journal on Excellence in College Teaching. https://celt.miamioh.edu/index.php/JECT/article/view/1368