תפיסתם של מנחי התערבות לניהול עצמי והפחתת סטיגמה עצמית, את תוכנית ההתערבות בקרב תלמידים המתמודדים עם הפרעות נפשיות

The education system in Israel incorporates a broad spectrum of students, including adolescents who have been diagnosed with mental illness. In addition to having to cope with the direct symptoms of their illness, they also face social and self-inflicted stigmas. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of a stigma-reduction intervention program, entitled Developing a positive identity and dealing with stigma – adapted from the adult world to the adolescent one.Intervention programs, that are integrated into the education system and are accompanied by research, have been found to be of great value in identifying the needs of both the students and the rehabilitation therapy team. The qualitative research methodology employed in this study included in-depth semi-structured interviews, conducted with 15 members of the education team who led this intervention for their students (i.e., facilitators). The findings attest to the positive impact of the intervention on both the students and the facilitators, with an emphasis on their ability to challenge their personal perceptions regarding mental illness, while implementing actual change. Some factors were identified as promoting the success of the intervention such as embracing a recovery oriented approach and conveying hope and support identifying and working towards personally meaningful goals despite difficulties. Identified barriers included the need to adapt the language and format for youth and in particular tailoring it for those dealing with psychiatric problems.