Training was linked to lower mental health stigma in primary care
A review found improved staff attitudes, but the evidence relied on reported scores and did not establish better patient care.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Interventions aimed at primary care professionals were associated with lower mental health stigma scores. Knowledge and attitudes generally improved, with smaller changes in intended behavior. Because the evidence relied on self-reported outcomes and short follow-up, it remains uncertain whether these changes lasted or translated into better experiences and care for patients.
Only 3 studies entered the meta-analysis. The review identified short follow-up, self-reported outcomes, methodological differences and possible publication bias as limitations.
What researchers found
Change in staff stigma scores
Opening Minds Scale for Health Care Providers: intervention versus control, comparing change over time. Follow-up durations were not specified; MD denotes mean difference.
Why the comparison matters
The review included both before-and-after evaluations and studies with control groups. The controlled analysis compared changes between groups, while a simple before-and-after change cannot on its own separate intervention effects from other changes over time.
Attitudes and actions
The interventions included education, contact-based approaches and combinations of methods. Reported gains were clearer for knowledge and attitudes than intended behavior; the abstract does not report direct evidence that diagnosis, engagement or care quality improved.
The original publication
Interventions to Reduce Mental Health Stigma Among Health Care Professionals in Primary Health Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Zhamaliyeva L, Ablakimova N, Batyrova A et al.
Int J Environ Res Public Health · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41007584
- Record checked
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