BACKGROUND
Serious Mental Disorder is still associated with limiting stereotypes both for the person who suffers from the disorder and in society.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective of the present study is to test the usefulness of an online escape room to raise awareness about the stigma towards people with serious mental disorder in university nursing students and if the degree of immersion and motivation achieved during the escape room influences in raising awareness.
METHODS
The sample consisted of a total of 306 students from two Andalusian universities. It is a quasi-experimental longitudinal study with pre- and post-treatment measures and a control group. The experimental group carried out an online educational escape room with elements to raise awareness of stigma in mental health. The control group performed the same escape room without sensitization elements. To measure stigma in mental health, the Attributional Questionnaire, an adapted version of AQ27, was used and the Motivation Questionnaire for Cooperative Playful Learning Strategies was used to assess motivation.
RESULTS
Statistical tests show that the experimental group has statistically significantly reduced stigma in post-test measures (p <.000). In addition, the variable "Having a relative with SMI" was considered, these students were compared with the experimental group after the escape room without finding statistical differences (p > .005) between them, while these differences were found in the control group.
CONCLUSIONS
The relevance of these results and the importance of including this type of awareness-raising activities in the educational field are discussed.