AUTHOR=Rapisarda Filippo , Macario de Medeiros Julio , Briand Catherine , Boivin Antoine , Monthuy-Blanc Johana , Vallée Catherine , Drolet Marie-Josée , Vachon Brigitte , Luconi Francesca 

TITLE=Assessing Changes in Anxiety, Empowerment, Stigma and Wellbeing in Participants Attending an Online-Based Recovery College in Quebec During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Pre-Experimental Study

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=67

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604735

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1604735

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> The present study aims to evaluate the effect of an online Recovery College (RC) program implemented in Quebec (Canada) during the COVID-19 pandemic. From October 2020 to June 2021, 27 training groups were conducted with a total of 362 attendees.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Outcome was evaluated using a single group repeated measure design, assessing participants prior the training (T0), after the training (T1) and at follow up (T2). 107 learners of the Quebec RC program attended three two-hour sessions agreed to participate to the research.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Overall findings show at T1 a small but statistically significant reduction of anxiety and increase in empowerment, and below threshold reduction of stigmatizing attitudes and increase of wellbeing. Conversely, the medium-term changes at follow up were non-significant for all the outcome dimension except for anxiety.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Findings suggest that the RC online program can be considered as a potential effective strategy to support self-regulation and empowerment of individuals and to reduce anxiety in the context of crisis for the general population.</p>