Beliefs about first aid for mental disorders: results from a mental health literacy survey of Japanese high school students

Abstract

The aim of the study was to carry out a survey of Japanese high school students in order to assess their beliefs about how best to help those with depression, social phobia and psychosis/schizophrenia. In 2011, 311 Japanese high school students aged 15–19 years filled out an anonymous self-report questionnaire distributed via teachers. Participants were given a case vignette describing depression, schizophrenia or social phobia. Subsequent questions covered their beliefs about the best way to help the person (mental health first-aid actions). The first-aid actions most commonly rated as helpful were listening to the person's problems in an understanding way and talking to the person firmly about getting their act together. Less than 20% of respondents rated suggesting professional help seeking as likely to be helpful. First-aid intentions and beliefs about first-aid behaviours in young Japanese people are of relatively low quality. As part of education to improve mental health literacy in Japan, young peo...