Abstract
BackgroundMental health literacy (MHL), or the knowledge and abilities necessary to benefit mental health, is a significant determinant of mental health and has the potential to benefit both individual and public mental health. MHL and its measures have traditionally focused on knowledge and beliefs about mental -ill-health rather than on mental health. No measures of MHL addressing knowledge of good or positive mental health have been identified. Aim: This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument measuring adolescents’ knowledge of how to obtain and maintain good mental health and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the instrument. More specifically, the factor structure, internal and construct validity, and test-retest reliability were assessed.MethodsThe participants were Norwegian upper secondary school students aged 15–21 years. The development and validation of the instrument entailed three phases: 1) item generation based on the basic psychological needs theory (BPNT), focus group interviews, and a narrative literature review, 2) a pilot study (n = 479), and 3) test-retest (n = 149), known-groups validity (n = 44), and scale construction, item reduction through principal component analysis (PCA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for factor structure and psychometric properties assessment (n = 1888).ResultsThirty-two items were initially generated, and 15 were selected for the pilot study. PCA identified cross-loadings, and a one-factor solution was examined. After removing five problematic items, CFA yielded a satisfactory fit for a 10-item one-factor model, referred to as the mental health-promoting knowledge (MHPK-10) measure. The test-retest evaluation supported the stability of the measure. McDonald’s omega was 0.84, and known-groups validity test indicated good construct validity.ConclusionA valid and reliable one-dimensional instrument measuring knowledge of factors promoting good mental health among adolescents was developed. The instrument has the potential to complement current measures of MHL and may be useful when planning mental health promotion activities and evaluating public mental health education initiatives in adolescents.
Highlights
Mental health literacy (MHL), or the knowledge and abilities necessary to benefit mental health, is a significant determinant of mental health and has the potential to benefit both individual and public mental health
Eigenvalues and scree plots were used to determine how many factors should be retained after principal component analyses (PCA)
The 10-item version was referred to as the Mental health-promoting knowledge (MHPK)-10
Summary
Mental health literacy (MHL), or the knowledge and abilities necessary to benefit mental health, is a significant determinant of mental health and has the potential to benefit both individual and public mental health. No measures of MHL addressing knowledge of good or positive mental health have been identified. HL is a multifaceted, complex and evolving concept, and Sørensen et al [5] has developed a definition and conceptual model relevant for the further work of conceptualization and measure development for mental health literacy (MHL). MHL is considered a significant determinant of mental health and has the potential to benefit both individual and public mental health [6, 7]. In past years, MHL has evolved from a focus on mental -ill-health and risk factors to providing an asset for health that can be strengthened through educational initiatives [7].
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