During its first academic year (2009-2010), Let's Erase the Stigma Educational Foundation (LETS) grew from a single Club of 5 students in Los Angeles to more than 40 members.  During its second year, LETS grew from 1 LETS Club of 40 students in LA, to a national movement of more than 400 kids in 15 LETS Clubs across 6 states; with projected growth continuing at least at this rate throughout their third year.  Throughout this growth, we've been especially interested in the stories shared by LETS Club members as they explain how they have reduced stigma in their schools while addressing issues like bullying, teen suicide, eating disorders, help-seeking and treatment, and other stigmatized mental health concerns in their communities.  We wanted to hold our children's charity accountable for making real change through evidence-based best practices, and we recognized that LETS is an opportunity to learn more about about the science of children and stigma.  In order to truly help, we decided to prioritize the study of our youth-based LETS Club model, launching our pilot study in May, 2011.

Our Pilot Data

As a national nonprofit organization, LETS has received tremendous community support across Los Angeles (LA) and beyond.  With our highest concentration of LETS Clubs in the LA and Greater LA metro area where our Clubs were initially established, LA was a natural choice for the pilot study.  LETS Co-Directors of Research Dr. Stephen Hinshaw and Dr. Bennett Leventhal--internationally renowned experts on stigma, mental health, and children--are overseeing data collection and evaluation.

Our new project study evaluates how well our educational model reduces stigma and increases help-seeking behaviors among school-aged youth.  We hope to validate our program for evidence-based best practices that can be widely implemented.  Our current research efforts utilize the research instruments found in Stigma Research and Action, Vol 1, No 1, 44–53 2011, developed by Dr. Otto Wahl et al.  In addition to this validated survey for youth, the pilot study includes three open-ended questions for which we have developed a coding system for evaluation.  The coding includes assessment of knowledge and attitude toward mental illness.

Our first major assessment took place at the LETS First Annual Youth Summit on  May 23, 2011–on a declared "Let's Erase the Stigma Youth Day" by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.  The LETS research project began with the completion of the Wahl questionnaires and the LETS open-ended questions.  LETS Educational Foundation is inviting students to complete these documents for a second time in Fall, 2011, and for a third time in December, 2011 to determine whether participation in LETS Summits and Clubs changes behaviors and attitudes with regard to stigma.  

Student researchers at University of California, Berkeley are currently working under Dr. Hinshaw's direction to assess the incoming pilot study data.  We will present our pilot outcomes in February, 2012.  With these data, LETS will establish methods for long-term evaluation of sustained change, and for improvement of the implementation of age-appropriate programs to reduce stigma.