Pilot Study of a Norwegian Group Program to Help Adults With Psychotic and Bipolar Disorders Handle Stigma and Disclosure in Outpatient Care

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate a Norwegian version of the group-based intervention called Honest Open Proud HOP among adults with psychotic and bipolar disorders receiving outpatient care. The study focuses on helping participants manage the stigma and personal decisions about disclosing their mental health conditions, which can affect their recovery and wellbeing. The program is particularly intended for people facing high levels of stigma related to psychotic and bipolar disorders. Participants are randomly assigned to either the intervention group or a waiting list control group. The intervention group attends four 2-hour peer-facilitated sessions over six weeks, covering topics such as pros and cons of disclosure, ways to disclose, making individual disclosure decisions, and evaluating those decisions in practice. Both groups continue to receive their usual outpatient treatment, which may include medication management, psychoeducation, support, or psychotherapy. The control group is offered the HOP program after the trial. During the study, participants complete assessments at baseline, week 3, and week 6 to measure changes in stigma stress, disclosure distress, recovery, wellbeing, life satisfaction, internalized stigma, depression, and anxiety. The main outcome is the change in stigma stress from before to after the intervention. Researchers will also evaluate the programs feasibility and acceptability. The total participation period spans six weeks, with ongoing monitoring of participants mental health and recovery progress.

Honest Open Proud for Psychotic and Bipolar Disorder in Norway