Abstract
Understanding mental health literacy is essential for promoting empowerment and proactivity in patients, reducing stigma, and increasing population awareness. The constitutive dimensions of mental health literacy are still being researched, and instruments’ research can shed light on the involved processes. The Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) is a self-report measure of mental health literacy. This study aimed to adapt the MHLS to Portuguese and evaluate mental health literacy in a broad sample. A broad sample of 337 individuals participated in the adaptation. Besides filling out the MHLS, the participants were invited to fill out a general lifestyle measure. The global results reveal a good internal consistency of the MHLS. A three-factor structure (i.e., attitudes towards mental illness, knowledge about mental illness, and the ability to recognize symptoms) explained 35% of the total variance. Despite not finding an association with the general lifestyle measure, the MHLS scored higher in women and individuals with higher schooling, as expected. The results reinforce the role of MHLS as a useful measure of mental health literacy. The identified structure is discussed in light of the current understanding and implications of this essential process.
Highlights
There has been a significant evolution in public health concerning the targets and kinds of medical treatments
The present study aims at adapting the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) to Portuguese
The current study aims at tackling the lack of mental health literacy instruments in Portugal
Summary
There has been a significant evolution in public health concerning the targets and kinds of medical treatments. The long duration of treatments implies that they have to become selfmanaged and typically imply a greater complexity and diversity in healthcare. These characteristics mean that citizens need to have an increased and accessible knowledge and they benefit from a proactive attitude toward seeking and managing treatments. Due to this evolution, international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO 2013) have been calling for research, intervention, and policy developments in the field of health literacy
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