Honest, Open, Proud-College: Follow-Up Effects of a Peer-Led Group for Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness

Rates of mental health concerns have been rising on college campuses, but the majority of students in need do not receive treatment. Self-stigma is a barrier to treatment seeking for this population and interventions that reduce self-stigma have the potential to improve well-being and address treatment disparities. Honest, Open, Proud-College (HOP-C) is a peer-led group intervention that aims to reduce self-stigma among college students. Expanding on prior research demonstrating short-term benefits of HOP-C on self-stigma and related outcomes, this study examines longer-term outcomes from a randomized controlled trial of HOP-C to investigate whether effects are enduring into a postintervention follow-up period. In a subsample of 55 college students randomized to HOP-C or a control group, postintervention outcomes for participants in the HOP-C group were maintained through a 2-month follow-up period in all domains and even improved in one domain (perceived harm from stigma). Findings indicate that peer-led interventions for college students with mental health concerns can have enduring effects. This research has implications for planning and maximizing the benefits of student well-being programs, such as the potential impact of including booster or maintenance sessions.