The impact of mental health service learning among community college volunteers in Hong Kong

Service learning and volunteerism is increasingly considered a central component of human services training, and research has been increasingly directed towards understanding the key factors that influence the success of such programs. For students studying psychology, a key potential function of service learning is to reduce stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness and to increase positive attitudes about serving in helping roles. This research examined the impact of service learning on community college students' self-esteem and attitudes towards mental illness and the benefits of volunteerism. A sample of psychology program students enrolled in service learning working with individuals with disabilities (n = 20) were compared to psychology and counseling program students who were not enrolled in service learning (n = 25) and social science program students who were not enrolled in psychology courses or service learning (n = 25). All students were evaluated after the service learning group had completed their volunteer experience. One-way ANOVAs were performed to compare the three groups. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, t-tests, and hierarchical multiple regressions were performed to further understand the influences of demographic data, prior volunteer experience with mental illness, and program group (psychology versus nonpsychology) on attitudes towards mental illness and volunteerism. Psychology students who participated in service learning endorsed more positive, and fewer stigmatizing, attitudes towards mental illness than social science students. Across the entire sample, students who indicated that they had prior experience volunteering with individuals with mental illness also reported having more positive, and fewer stigmatizing, attitudes towards mental illness, fewer negative culturally related attitudes toward providing help, and more positive views toward volunteering. Years of volunteer work and hours of volunteer time per week were found to be associated with more positive views towards volunteerism. Female gender, psychology major, and past volunteer experience each contributed independent variance to fewer stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness and more positive views towards volunteering. Future research is recommended to evaluate the specific influence of the service learning experience over other factors influencing group membership, such as choice of major, in change of students' attitudes towards mental illness.