Twelve-month outcomes of a destigmatizing theatrical intervention in rural Uganda

Evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a community-led theatrical intervention in reducing mental health stigma in a low-income setting in Uganda. A follow-up survey of study participants was conducted 12 months after the initial community-led theatrical intervention measuring the primary outcomes of mental illness stigma using the Broad Acceptance Scale (BAS) and the Personal Acceptance Scale (PAS). Of the initial 57 participants, 46 (80%) completed the follow-up survey. The average improvement in Broad Acceptance Scale and Personal Acceptance Score observed from baseline to twelve months after the intervention was 1.435 (95% CI: 0.826-2.044, p < 0.0001, SD: 1.64) and 2.152 (95% CI: 1.444-2.860, p < 0.0001, SD: 1.93), respectively. Both effect sizes were within the confidence intervals of the average improvement observed one week after the intervention. Exposure to the community-led theatrical intervention continued to confer a significant and substantial reduction in mental illness stigma.