scholarly journals Mental health literacy, folic acid and vitamin B12, and physical activity for the prevention of depression in older adults: randomised controlled trial

2010 ◽  
Vol 197 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine G. Walker ◽  
Andrew J. Mackinnon ◽  
Philip Batterham ◽  
Anthony F. Jorm ◽  
Ian Hickie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Literacy Intervention ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BackgroundFew randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have examined potential preventive agents in high-risk community populations.AimsTo determine whether a mental health literacy intervention, the promotion of physical activity, or folic acid plus vitamin B12reduce depression symptoms in community-dwelling older adults with elevated psychological distress.MethodAn RCT with a completely crossed 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design: (400 mcg/d folic acid + 100 mcg/d vitamin B12v.placebo)×(physical activityv.nutrition promotion control) × (mental health literacyv.pain information control). The initial target sample size was 2000; however, only 909 adults (60–74 years) met the study criteria. Interventions were delivered by mail with telephone calls. The main outcome was depressive symptoms on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9) at 6 weeks, 6, 12 and 24 months. The Clinicaltrials.gov registration number is NCT00214682.ResultsThe drop-out rate was low (13.5%) from randomisation to 24-month assessment. Neither folic acid + B12(F(3,856) = 0.83,P= 0.476) nor physical activity (F(3,856) = 1.65,P= 0.177) reduced depressive symptoms at any time point. At 6 weeks, depressive symptoms were lower for the mental health literacy intervention compared with its control condition (t(895) = 2.04,P= 0.042).ConclusionsMental health literacy had a transient effect on depressive symptoms. Other than this, none of the interventions significantly reduced symptoms relative to their comparator at 6 weeks or subsequently. Neither folic acid plus B12nor physical activity were effective in reducing depressive symptoms.

scholarly journals Inadequate Mental Health Literacy and Insufficient Physical Activity Potentially Increase the Risks of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuexue Huang ◽  
Xiaoqing Wang ◽  
Jie Hu ◽  
Yanni Xue ◽  
Yanyan Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
College Students ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Chinese College Students ◽  
Insufficient Physical Activity

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the interactive associations between physical activity and mental health literacy with anxiety and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July 2020. A total of 7,512 students were recruited from two medical colleges in Hefei and Anqing city in Anhui Province, China. Physical activity, mental health literacy, anxiety and depressive symptoms were measured by self-reported validated instruments. Analyses were conducted with logistic regression models.Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms was 8.6% and 16.4%, respectively. Insufficient physical activity was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 1.359, 95%CI 1.184–1.561) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.492, 95%CI: 1.237–1.799). Inadequate mental health literacy was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 3.089, 95%CI: 2.607–3.662) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 3.675, 95%CI: 2.861–4.721). Low physical activity rank (OR = 1.438, 95%CI: 1.151–1.798) was significantly related with depressive symptoms but not anxiety symptoms. The students who had inadequate mental health literacy and insufficient physical activity had the highest risks of depressive symptoms (OR = 5.049, 95% CI: 3.649–6.987) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 5.270, 95% CI: 3.338–8.321).Conclusion: These finding indicated that Chinese college students having insufficient physical activity and inadequate mental health literacy are at risk of exhibiting anxiety and depressive symptoms. Early intervention programs for college students with mental health problems should be considered to enhance their mental health literacy and to increase their physical activities.

scholarly journals Health literacy needs among unemployed adults: Triangulating interview and scoping review data

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
F Samkange-Zeeb ◽  
H Singh ◽  
M Lakeberg ◽  
J Kolschen ◽  
B Schüz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Intervention Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Nutrition And Physical Activity

Abstract   Disadvantaged populations, including unemployed adults, often exhibit low levels of health literacy. Exploring subjectively perceived health literacy needs in these populations can serve as an entry point for participatory intervention development. We aimed to assess health literacy needs of unemployed adults by triangulating qualitative interviews data and a scoping review. Using a parallel approach, we combined results of an interview study with 10 participants of a job-reintegration program in Germany and a scoping review. The interviews, conducted in early 2021, focused on health topics of interest to the participants and their sources of health-related information. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. For the scoping review, we searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo and SCOPUS up to January 2021 for studies containing “unemployed” AND “health literacy” in titles/abstracts. Study selection and data extraction were done independently by two researchers. Nutrition and physical activity emerged as core themes during the interviews, with some participants referring to the importance of both for mental health. Doctors and the institution running the job-reintegration program were the sources of health-related information often mentioned. The Corona pandemic was reported to have limited physical activity and affected psycho-social well-being. Five out of 2696 studies were included in the review. Four focused on mental health literacy, the fifth assessed information seeking practices in unemployed adults. The qualitative analysis revealed that health literacy needs of unemployed adults go beyond mental health literacy. As nutrition and physical activity impact mental health, interventions targeting such topics might also improve mental health literacy in unemployed adults. Study findings will be discussed with unemployed persons and social workers in co-production workshops that aim to identify and prioritize health literacy needs for intervention development. Key messages Health literacy programs for unemployed adults should target nutrition and physical activity. Workforce re-integration programs play a pivotal role in improving health literacy of unemployed adults.

An examination of the quality of late-life depression websites on the Internet (Preprint)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teaghan Pryor ◽  
Kristin Reynolds ◽  
Paige Kirby ◽  
Matthew Bernstein
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Late Life ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Mental Health Information

BACKGROUND The Internet can increase the accessibility of mental health information and improve the mental health literacy of older adults. The quality of mental health information on the Internet can be inaccurate or biased, leading to misinformation OBJECTIVE This study’s objectives were to evaluate the quality, usability, and readability of websites providing information concerning depression in later life. METHODS Websites were identified through a Google search, and evaluated by assessing quality (DISCERN), usability (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool; PEMAT) and readability (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook; SMOG). RESULTS The overall quality of late-life depression websites (N = 19) was moderate, usability was low, and readability was poor. No significant relationship was found between quality and readability of websites. CONCLUSIONS Websites can be improved by enhancing information quality, usability, and readability related to late-life depression. The use of high-quality websites may improve mental health literacy and shared treatment decision-making for older adults.

Mental health literacy as a mediator in use of mental health services among older korean adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Sun Kim ◽  
T. Greg Rhee ◽  
Hee Yun Lee ◽  
Byung Hyun Park ◽  
Monica L. Sharratt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Health Services Utilization ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Services Utilization ◽  
Mental Health Services Utilization

ABSTRACTBackground:Existing literature suggests that mental health literacy is positively associated with mental health services utilization. Despite an aging population that faces significant mental health concerns in Korea, the role of mental health literacy on mental health services utilization is not known among older adults in Korea. This study aimed to (1) identify whether mental health literacy mediates the association between population characteristics and mental health services utilization and (2) identify an optimal path model for mental health services utilization among Korean older adults.Methods:Using a cross-sectional survey with a quota sampling strategy, we collected and analyzed responses from 596 community-dwelling individuals ages 65 years and older. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to estimate the effect of mental health literacy as a mediator.Results:When controlling for other relevant covariates in the optimal path model, mental health literacy mediated the relationships between three socio-demographic factors (education, general literacy, and health status) and mental health services utilization. The model fit index shows that the SEM fits very well (CFI = 0.92, NFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.07).Conclusions:Efforts to improve mental health literacy through community-based education programs may need to particularly target Korean older adults with the relevant socio-demographic characteristics to enhance their utilization of appropriate mental health services.

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