The effectiveness of digital campaigns in mental health promotion to reduce schizophrenia stigma among teenagers at the Southeast Sulawesi Provincial Mental Hospital

Stigma against people with schizophrenia remains a serious public health issue because it leads to delays in seeking treatment, social discrimination, and low support from family and the community. Adolescents are a strategic target group for efforts to reduce stigma because they are in a cognitive and social development phase that plays an important role in shaping attitudes and perceptions into adulthood. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of digital campaigns in mental health promotion to reduce schizophrenia stigma among adolescents at the Southeast Sulawesi Provincial Mental Hospital. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group approach. The research sample consisted of 194 adolescents aged 10–18 years, divided into an intervention group and a control group, each with 97 respondents, using accidental sampling. The intervention consisted of a digital campaign based on educational videos about schizophrenia delivered through digital media. Stigma measurement was conducted using the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) questionnaire. Data analysis was performed univariately and bivariately using appropriate statistical tests. The research results showed a significant reduction in schizophrenia stigma scores in the intervention group after being given a digital campaign compared to before the intervention (p = 0.000). In addition, there was a significant difference in stigma between the intervention group and the control group after the treatment (p = 0.000). This study concluded that the digital campaign is effective in reducing schizophrenia stigma among adolescents. Digital campaigns have the potential to be an innovative, effective, and sustainable mental health promotion strategy in improving mental health literacy and building a more inclusive and supportive social environment.