Abstract
A program evaluation examined mental health literacy levels and coping outcomes for youth (ages 10–16), before and at the end of their participation in a manualized, school-based mental health literacy program called Youth Education and Support (YES). Most of the youth reportedly had a parent or other family member with a mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety, and/or substance abuse. The mental health literacy levels of program participants from pre to post were evaluated with the developing Knowledge of Mental Illness and Recovery (K-MIR) scale. This scale was validated using item-response theory, demonstrating good psychometric properties. Youth answered two coping questions about their use of positive coping during the program and coping skills compared from pre to post intervention. Findings revealed that youth levels of mental health literacy increased significantly from pre to post program participation. Over 90% of the youth reported an improved use of positive coping strategies from pre to post intervention. The program appeared to deliver enhanced levels of literacy and coping for this sample of youth. The scale appeared to be appropriate to measure youth mental health literacy. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are offered.
Highlights
Mental health disorders are one of the most common sources of disability in the world [1]
The guiding research question asked, “What are the pre-post mental health literacy and coping outcomes reported by youth attending the Youth Education and Support program?” Given the lack of psychometrically validated measures of youth mental health literacy [4], the first phase of the evaluation study included development and analysis of an instrument to measure youth mental health literacy
Data responded to the guiding research question: “What are the pre-post mental health literacy and coping outcomes reported by youth attending the Youth Education and Support program?” It appears that this sample of YES participant youth reported significantly increased levels of mental health literacy from pre to post program participation
Summary
Mental health disorders are one of the most common sources of disability in the world [1]. In most of the world, there are little to no mental health literacy programs for youth with a parent or other family member with a mental health disorder [7]. Youth that have a parent with a mental illness are at a higher risk of developing a mental health illness when compared to their same age peers [16, 17]. Young people of parents with a mental illness may experience school problems and difficulties with attention or self-regulation They experience higher dropout rates at school [19], an increased likelihood of being taken into foster care [20] and an increased risk of developing a substance abuse disorder [21]. The youth may face increased risk to acquire intergenerational mental illness [24]
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