Effectiveness of a Single Session Workshop using Principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Reducing Mental Health Stigma among Higher Education Students: Preliminary Report

Abstract

Background: Mental health stigma continues to be a significant barrier to accessing psychological help among higher education students, particularly in collectivist cultures like India. Internal stigma and concern about social judgment dissuade students from approaching support services despite reporting high levels of psychological distress. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), emphasising psychological flexibility and value-guided action, can potentially reduce stigma in brief, scalable interventions. Objective: This research evaluated the efficacy of a single-session ACT-based workshop in minimising mental health stigma and enhancing help-seeking behaviour and psychological flexibility in higher education students. Methods: A single-group pretest-posttest-follow-up design was used with 281 students from various higher education institutions in eastern India. Participants received a 90-minute Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop on six core processes. The outcome measures were the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH), Perceived Stigmatization by Others Scale (PSOSH), Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help (ATSPPH), and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–II (AAQ-II). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Statistically significant improvements were seen on all outcome variables from pre-test to follow-up (p < .001) with large effect sizes (η² = .26–.31). Reductions in self-stigma and perceived stigma and improvement in help-seeking attitudes and psychological flexibility, were sustained at 30-day follow-up assessment. Conclusion: A single ACT intervention effectively reduced stigma and increased psychological openness among Indian college students. Its brevity and flexibility make it suitable for application in educational settings.