Childhood interventions to reduce stigma towards peers with disabilities and chronic health conditions: a systematic review

Stigma is a problem for children
with a wide range of disabilities and chronic health conditions including
epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, and mental health problems (e.g. ADHD). When stigma occurs,
it has particular significance for a child¿s psychological wellbeing and
development.  Evidence that
stigmatizing attitudes develop early in life make it imperative that
interventions for school-age children are developed to prevent or reduce
stigma.  While several
interventions exist, most focus on single stigmatized conditions rather than
attempting a broader focus on acceptance of peers who are different. The
primary goal of the review is to present an evidence-based analysis of anti-stigma
interventions.  Method:  Population: Children and
adolescents (6-18 years). Intervention: Interventions must aim to
change the study population¿s attitudes or behaviour towards individuals who
are disabled or who have chronic health conditions.  Search
strategy: (i) Searches of: PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, Medline; (ii)
checking references at the end relevant articles; and (iii) using Social Science Citation
Index and Google Scholar to find articles that cite key references.  Conclusions: Conclusions
will focus on the transfer of learning from well-developed interventions
regarding health conditions, to health conditions for which few anti-stigma
interventions currently exist. Age appropriateness of interventions will be a
particular focus.