Because information about effective stigma-
reducing interventions is limited and the contact
approach provides the strongest support for chan-
ging attitudes, pilot testing established contact
approach programs is a natural next step. Most
often, established programs are easily extended into
larger population subsets. Gaining knowledge
about diverse groups and larger samples of the
population can quickly advance the science. Pilot-
ing testing interventions with demonstrated success
in international research is also an appropriate
starting point.
Contact and educational interventions are show-
ing promise across disciplines as effective ways to
reduce stigma. Moreover, people who view mental
disorders as biologically based, and not under one's
own control, stigmatize less. More stigma inter-
vention research is needed to close the knowledge
gap and establish best practice. This article provides
a summary of current stigma-reducing interven-
tions, but is limited by the inability to provide
clinical recommendations. Clinical recommenda-
tions cannot be made until more evidence is
available and a rigorous appraisal of the evidence,
such as a systematic review, is undertaken. At that
time, best practice can be identified and implemen-
ted with confidence.