Mental health literacy among adolescents: Evidence from a community-based study in Delhi

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110061
Author(s):  
Aftab Ahmad ◽  
Harshal Ramesh Salve ◽  
Baridalyne Nongkynrih ◽  
Rajesh Sagar ◽  
Anand Krishnan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
P Value ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Seeking Behavior

Background: Mental Health Literacy (MHL) is the ability to recognize mental disorders, along with knowledge of professional help available, effective self-help strategies, skills to give support to others, and knowledge of how to prevent mental disorders. Adequate MHL is linked to better health-seeking behavior and management of mental illness. Aim: To assess the MHL related to depression and anxiety among adolescents of age 15 to 19 years residing in Delhi Methods: A survey was conducted among adolescents in southeast Delhi. MHL was assessed using sex-matched vignettes of Common Mental Disorders (CMDs) like depression and anxiety. MHL was assessed under domains of identifications of disorders, help-seeking behavior, knowledge about prevention, and stigmatizing attitude toward the respective illness. Statistical analysis was done in STATA and percentage of participants with adequate MHL in various domains was calculated, and difference between various groups was examined using chi-square test. Results: A total of 491 adolescents participated (response rate of 87.2%) of whom a 50.3% were girls and 57.8% were 15 to 17 years of age. Only 50 (10.2%) participants identified depression vignette as that of depression and 51 (10.4%) identified vignette of anxiety disorder as the same. No statistically significant gender differential in MHL was seen ( p value = .8). The stigmatizing attitude, assessed by asking a series of questions suggesting stigma toward the particular illness, was observed among almost all participants (depression -99.4%, and anxiety disorders -96.1%). 18.3% and 18.7% of participants reported correct knowledge about the prevention of depression and anxiety respectively. Four hundred and twenty-two (86%) identified the need to seek help for symptoms reported in vignettes. Of these, 234 (55%) preferred parents, and 62 (14.7%) look after friends for any help. Conclusion: Adolescents residing in Delhi reported poor MHL for Common Mental Disorders. High stigma and poor help-seeking behavior was also observed among the participants toward CMDs

scholarly journals Does mental health literacy influence help-seeking behavior in medical students?

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Nandini Amithya Pramesi Lumaksono ◽  
Pudji Lestari ◽  
Azimatul Karimah
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Good Attitude

Introduction: Medical students are experiencing uncertainty in finding the appropriate help for their mental health problems. When they finally decide to seek help, some of them are already in a mental crisis. The suitable indicator for early identification of mental disorder is mental health literacy. Mental health literacy also functions as a tool to decrease stigma towards people with mental illness and to improve help-seeking behavior. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of mental health literacy to help-seeking behavior and to describe mental health literacy and help-seeking behavior of the medical students.Methods: The study design was observational analytical. Participants filled demographic data and answered questionnaire via an online file sharing platform. The questionnaires used in this study were Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). The influence of mental health literacy to help-seeking behavior was analyzed using logistic regression analysis.  Results: The respondents were 60 medical students. No differences of literacy and attitude were found across the admission years. Overall, the students had good literacy and attitude. Students showed lower scores in the MHLS attributes containing ideas about self-treatments, confidentiality, social distance, and reliance on self. Being literate in the total score of MHLS did not influence on having a good attitude in ATSPPH-SF (p=0.303). Only by being literate in attitudes that promote recognition and help-seeking, the students showed a good attitude in ATSPPH-SF (p-value=0.027).  Conclusion: There was no influence on mental health literacy to help-seeking behavior.

scholarly journals Mental health literacy

2000 ◽  
Vol 177 (5) ◽  
pp. 396-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Jorm
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
The Public ◽  
Physical Diseases ◽  
Specific Disorders ◽  
Health Experts

BackgroundAlthough the benefits of public knowledge of physical diseases are widely accepted, knowledge about mental disorders (mental health literacy) has been comparatively neglected.AimsTo introduce the concept of mental health literacy to a wider audience, to bring together diverse research relevant to the topic and to identify gaps in the area.MethodA narrative review within a conceptual framework.ResultsMany members of the public cannot recognise specific disorders or different types of psychological distress. They differ from mental health experts in their beliefs about the causes of mental disorders and the most effective treatments. Attitudes which hinder recognition and appropriate help-seeking are common. Much of the mental health information most readily available to the public is misleading. However, there is some evidence that mental health literacy can be improved.ConclusionsIf the public's mental health literacy is not improved, this may hinder public acceptance of evidence-based mental health care. Also, many people with common mental disorders may be denied effective self-help and may not receive appropriate support from others in the community.

Mental health literacy among Arab university students in Israel: A qualitative study

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110361
Author(s):  
Anwar Khatib ◽  
Fareeda Abo-Rass
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Arab Population ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Arab Students

Background: There has been a noticeable increase in the number of studies concerned with mental health literacy (MHL), specifically among students. Still, very few studies have examined MHL among students of non-Western minority groups. Aims: This study examined MHL among Arab students in Israel based on Jorm’s conceptual framework. Methods: Twenty-eight Arab students in Israel took part in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Most were single and Muslim, in their second year of studies, and most reported low socioeconomic status. The data were analyzed thematically, guided by the Jorm’s six MHL dimensions. Results: Different levels of literacy were found in the various MHL dimensions. The participants identified severe mental disorders more easily than mood disorders; reported a variety of possible causes of mental disorders; were well aware of available professional help (apart for rehabilitative services); identified significant barriers to mental health help seeking, as Arabs; and reported the internet as a major source of information about mental health problems and their treatment Conclusions: The participants’ MHL appeared to be associated with their unique sociocultural characteristics. This study stresses the need to raise MHL among Arab students in Israel, and in particular to promote positive attitudes to seeking professional help. It also highlights the need to develop culturally adapted mental health interventions for the Arab population in Israel.

Treatment gap in common mental disorders: the Singapore perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Chong ◽  
E. Abdin ◽  
C. Sherbourne ◽  
J. Vaingankar ◽  
D. Heng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Treatment Gap ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Treatment Gaps ◽  
Seeking Behavior

Aims.The problem of wide treatment gaps in mental disorders is endemic world wide. The study aims to establish the treatment gap of common mental disorders in Singapore.Methods.A national sample of 6616 persons aged 18 years and above was surveyed with the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview in which for each diagnostic module, respondents were asked a series of questions regarding treatment contact.Results.Treatment gap varied considerably between disorders; alcohol abuse had the largest treatment gap (96.2%), followed by obsessive compulsive disorder (89.8%) and alcohol dependence (88.3%). The disorder for which people were most likely to seek help was major depressive disorder. Women with dysthmia were more likely than men to seek help but this help seeking behavior was reversed among those with alcohol abuse and dependence. Age of onset was significantly associated with treatment contact with those who had an earlier age of onset less likely to have treatment contact than those with late age of onset for all disorders except obsessive compulsive disorder.Conclusions.Our findings suggest that treatment gaps are wide even in an economically developed country like Singapore and other than sociodemographic factors, cultural influences might play an important role in help seeking behavior.

A multifaceted intervention to improve mental health literacy in employees of a multi-campus university: a cluster randomised trial

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola J. Reavley ◽  
Terence V. McCann ◽  
Stefan Cvetkovski ◽  
Anthony F. Jorm
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Trial ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to assess whether a multifaceted intervention could improve mental health literacy, facilitate help seeking and reduce psychological distress and alcohol misuse in staff of a multi-campus university in Australia. Design/methodology/approach – In this cluster randomised trial (ACTRN12610001027000), nine campuses were paired, with one of each pair randomly assigned to either intervention or control. Interventions (which were whole-of-campus) included e-mails, posters, campus events, factsheets/booklets and mental health first aid training courses. A monitoring sample of staff were recruited from each campus. Participants had a 20-minute computer-assisted telephone interview at baseline, and at the end of academic years 1 and 2. The interview assessed mental health literacy, help seeking for mental health problems, psychological distress and alcohol use. The primary outcomes were depression and anxiety levels and alcohol use and pertained to the individual level. Six campuses were randomised to intervention and three to control and all campuses were included in the analysis. Findings – There were no effects on depression and anxiety levels and alcohol use. Recall of intervention elements was greater in the intervention group at the end of the two-year assessment period. Staff in the intervention group showed better recognition of depression, greater knowledge of the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines for safe levels of drinking and a greater intention to seek help for alcohol misuse from a general practitioner. Originality/value – Future interventions should involve more focused interventions that include consideration of working conditions and their influence on mental health, as well as addressing mental illness among employees, regardless of cause.

scholarly journals Help-seeking behavior for problematic substance uses in Bahir Dar town, North-West Ethiopia

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Habte Belete ◽  
Tesfa Mekonen ◽  
Wubalem Fekadu ◽  
Getasew Legas ◽  
Asmamaw Getnet
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Bahir Dar ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Substance Users ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Problematic Substance ◽  
History Of

AbstractBackgroundMental, neurological and substance use disorders are common, but 76% to 85% of people with those disorders in low and middle-income countries did not receive treatment.ObjectiveOur objective was to assess the level of help seeking behavior and associated factors among residents with problematic substance uses (alcohol, khat, tobacco and hashish).MethodsCommunity based cross sectional study was conducted in Bahir Dar town among total of 548 participants with problematic substance users. We had interviewed for help seeking behavior by pre-tested modified General Help Seeking Questionnaire. Logistic regression was done and p-value < 0.05 was used for declaration of significant level. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) have been used.ResultsAmong five hundred and forty-eight participants with problematic substance users, only one hundred and sixty-eight (30.7%) sought help for their substance related problems. Participants’ age above 35 years [AOR = .47 95% CI (.25, .90)], positively screened for common mental disorders [AOR = 4.12, 95% CI (2.7, 6.3)], comorbid medical [AOR = 3.0, 95% CI (1.7, 5.3)], and grand-families’ history of substance user [AOR = 2.18, 95% CI (1.4, 3.4)] found significantly associated with help seeking.ConclusionThere was low proportion of help seeking behavior among participants with problematic substance users. Advanced age was a barrier to seek help while medical illnesses, common mental disorders and history of substance use in grand families were found to enforce to seek help.

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