Background:

While abnormal psychology courses have traditionally focused on psychopathology, there are several benefits to adopting a strengths-based approach.

Objective:

This study examined the teaching of a strengths-based assessment approach (the DICE-PM Model), compared to teaching as usual, in an undergraduate abnormal psychology course.

Method:

Two sections of an abnormal psychology course were taught a strengths-based assessment approach while two sections were taught as usual. All participants completed measures of knowledge of psychological disorders and mental illness stigma at the beginning and end of the semester.

Results:

Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge of disorders and a significant decrease in mental illness stigma with the exception of one category assessed (recovery), generally with small effect sizes. Those in the strengths group, compared to the control, showed a significantly greater decrease in mental illness stigma involving anxiety related to others with mental illness, though also with a small effect.

Conclusion:

Findings suggest strengths-based assessment education does not compromise the instruction of psychological disorders and is equivalent to a traditional abnormal psychology course in reducing mental illness stigma.

Teaching Implications:

Such an approach may be beneficial early in students’ education to reduce mental illness stigma and promote comprehensive assessment practices.

中文翻译：

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基于优势的评估教育对大学生的疾病知识和心理疾病耻辱感的影响

背景：

传统上，异常心理学课程侧重于心理病理学，但采用基于优势的方法有很多好处。

客观的：

这项研究检查了与常规教学相比在本科生异常心理学课程中基于优势的评估方法（DICE-PM模型）的教学。

方法：

教给异常心理学课程的两个部分采用基于优势的评估方法，而照常教两个部分。所有参加者都在学期开始和结束时完成了对心理障碍和精神疾病耻辱知识的了解。

结果：

两组均显示出对疾病知识的显着改善，并且精神疾病的耻辱感显着降低，但仅评估（恢复）的一种类别（通常效果较小）除外。与对照组相比，强项组的患者表现出的精神疾病耻辱感明显减少，涉及与其他精神疾病患者有关的焦虑，尽管效果也很小。

结论：

研究结果表明，基于优势的评估教育不会损害心理障碍的教学效果，相当于减少精神疾病污名的传统异常心理学课程。

教学意义：

这样的方法在学生早期教育中可能有益于减少精神疾病的污名并促进全面的评估实践。