Introduction: Good mental health literacy (MHL) enables an individual to access, understand, and use information in a way that promotes and maintains good mental health and facilitates early referral to mental health services. The literature reports that MHL levels among adolescents are gradually increasing, but still remain at low/moderate levels, and that this situation bears a negative impact on both individual and societal health. Aims: The Authors of this study aim to determine the level of MHL among university students engaged in the field of health, the factors that influence this level, and the differences between the various fields. Methods: The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 1,227 students enrolled in a university health department between 1 December 2022 and 20 January 2023. Data were collected online using a questionnaire designed by the researchers, and applying the MHL Scale (MHLS). We used descriptive statistics, one-sample t-test, one-way ANOVA test, multiple comparison tests (Tukey) and multiple linear regression in the statistical analysis. Results: The mean MHLS score of health faculty students was moderate (15.88, SD = 3.30). Female students, students aged >20 years and medicine, dentistry or nursing students had higher MHLS scores than others (p < .050). Conclusions: We observed that university students in the health sector did not have the desired or expected level of MHL. Improving MHL has the potential to facilitate early intervention, ensuring effective community mental health promotion and support; therefore, educational programs should be developed for this group.

Introduction: Discrepancies between parental and child perceptions of problems and their therapeutic expectations can negatively impact mental health treatment efficacy. Aims: We sought to explore concordance and discrepancy in families receiving brief, client-centered, and strengths-based mental health services, specifically by contrasting parents’ and children’s perceptions of the child’s presenting issues; treatment expectations; and levels of concern pre- and post-treatment. We also examined the psychometric properties of a therapeutic scaling question on the level of concern, by examining associations with scores from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, we examined data from openand closed-ended questions, some used as part of the treatment. This included brief descriptions of perceived presenting issues and treatment expectations, and levels of concern on a scale of 1 to 10. Results: Parent and child descriptions of issues were judged generally congruent 66% of the time. Respectively, minor and major non-congruence was observed 25% and 9% of the time. In terms of treatment expectations, parents were more likely to express a desire to understand the issues and improve communication in the family. Children were more likely to express no expectancies or respond with simple statements (e.g., feel better). Parents initially rated their children’s problems as more severe than did their children. We found that the scaling question demonstrated a modest association with the level of concern from the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Conclusions: Even though most parents and their children broadly agree on presenting mental health issues for which they seek counseling, important differences manifest in how they perceive them and what they want accomplished during sessions. Practitioners need to consider, assess, and accommodate such discrepancies.

Introduction: Emotional factors are often specified as playing an important role in the context of problematic alcohol use and alcohol addiction. Aims: This study focused on examining the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation, perceived personal problems, and problematic alcohol use. Methods: 374 participants from the general population in Slovenia and Croatia (34.8% men, 65.2% women) with an average age of 44.28 years (range: 26 to 74 years) completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Individual Problems and Strengths Scale (IPS) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale – Short Form (DERS-SF). Results: A higher level of problematic alcohol use positively correlated with difficulties in emotion regulation and the assessment of individual problems (p ≤ .010). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that higher AUDIT scores were positively associated with two dimensions of difficulties in emotion regulation: impulse control difficulties (β = 0.22, p = .008) and lack of emotional awareness (β = 0.15, p = .010). Difficulties in emotion regulation completely mediated the effect of individual problems on problematic alcohol use (indirect effect: 0.18, CI [–.06, –.31]; p < .001): higher levels of individual problems contribute to higher levels of problematic alcohol use through the effect of difficulties in emotion regulation. Conclusions: The findings indicate the vulnerability of individuals with difficulties in emotion regulation to problematic alcohol use. Difficulties in emotion regulation are an important factor to consider for understanding the development, maintenance, and treatment of alcoholism and problematic alcohol use.

Introduction: Psychological immunity refers to an individual’s potential to cope with psychological risk factors, as well as to promote and maintain mental health and well-being. The method of its measurement is the Psychological Immune Competence Inventory (PICI), which appears to have good psychometric parameters. Despite the use of translated versions in various foreign studies, the authors have found no studies verifying its factor structure or reliability. Aims: In this article, our objective is to present the results of the PICI pilot validation in Slovakia. The Slovak version of PICI was expected to have psychometric properties comparable to those of the original version. Methods: We collected data from a research sample of 213 healthcare students (162 women and 51 men) aged 19 to 35 years (M = 21.18; SD = 2.81), and validated the internal structure of the inventory using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via employing the DWLS estimation method. The convergent validity of individual factors was further verified by correlation with personality traits, psychopathological symptoms, preferred coping strategies and trait emotional intelligence. Results: The results of the second-order confirmatory analysis indicate an acceptable fit of the original model to our data. The convergent validity of the observed individual psychological immunity factors was also supported. Conclusions: The Slovak version of PICI showed promising psychometric properties. The research serves as a reference to Slovak standardization. Nevertheless, further validation is recommended in a representative sample.

Introduction: A family operates as a dynamic system comprising various subsystems and is continually interacting with its environment. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend the underlying principles of family functioning. One of the most commonly used models for describing family functioning is the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems (Olson & Gorall, 2003). Aims: In this study, we aimed at examining the factor structure and internal consistency reliability in the Croatian version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV Package, which measures family functioning through family cohesion and flexibility at the balanced and unbalanced levels, as well as family communication and family satisfaction. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were performed using a convenient sample of 528 participants. Results: CFA revealed that the Croatian version of the FACES IV Package does not fit the theoretical model of the original factor structure in this preliminary study. The exceptions were the Family Communication Scale and Family Satisfaction Scale, which showed satisfactory parameters. The results of the EFA of FACES IV showed a 5-factor model solution. Conclusions: The Croatian version of the FACES IV Package is not completely suitable for use in the national context. Thus, given these preliminary findings, further testing on a more representative or clinical sample is recommended.

Introduction: The diversity of information on social media provides a ubiquitous possibility for social comparison. Online social comparisons have both detrimental and beneficial effects; besides lowering one’s self-esteem, heightening loneliness and addiction, they also bring together people with similar interests which may offer a form of social support. Aims: This study examines a path model for understanding the link between social comparison and social media addiction while examining online social support, loneliness, and self-esteem. Methods: Hungarian university students (N = 201, 70.6% women, aged between 18 and 30 years, SD = 2.77) completed an online survey in the spring of 2022. Results: The final path model suggests that social comparison can directly contribute to social media addiction. This link was mediated by loneliness and self-esteem, resulting in a path with different outcomes: a) social comparison may strengthen loneliness (β = .22, p < .001) which can lead to lower self-esteem (β = .60, p < .001), and b) social comparison may have a negative effect on self-esteem (β = -.22, p < .001) which can reduce social media addiction (β = -.26, p < .001). In addition, social comparison may help obtain online social support (β = .15, p < .050) which can reduce loneliness (β = -.41, p < .001) but increase the likelihood of addiction (β = .26, p < .001). Conclusions: These findings draw attention to the double-edged sword of social comparison and online social support: we need to learn to consciously manage online social comparison tendencies.

Introduction: Trauma manifests in a variety of ways and disrupts the lives of individuals. This is particularly the case in an age when communication technologies are permeating everyday practices, and mass media is an essential means of communication. A review of the international literature on disasters reveals that the measurement tools used in the research on the association between Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and the media are limited. Aims: The main aim of this study is to measure the STS levels in the audience of the media content regarding the Kahramanmaras-centered earthquake and to examine the factors associated with it. Methods: First, a measurement tool on the subject was developed, and then its psychometric properties were investigated. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, validity, and reliability analyses were conducted throughout the studies (N = 30 for Study I; N = 265 for Study II; N = 283 for Study III). Results: A 17-item, four-factor (intrusion, anxiety, media distrust, and avoidance), valid and reliable scale was created. Moreover, depression was found to have a partial mediating effect on the significant relationship between media exposure related STS and psychological well-being (β = –.22, SE = .027, 95% CI [–.25, –.19]). Conclusions: The results revealed the multi-dimensional impact of STS on people indirectly exposed to trauma as well as the uniqueness of the scale.

Introduction: Loneliness has been considered a major public health and policy concern, with substantial physical and mental health impacts. The University of California and Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS) is one of the most widely used scales for measuring loneliness but it does not have robust psychometric properties among adolescents. Aims: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Hungarian UCLA-LS among adolescents. Methods: The sample includes a total of 2508 students, 57.3% females, aged between 14 and 21 years. Studying psychometric properties, internal reliability and criterion-related validity were measured. The sample was randomly divided into two parts to examine the factorial structure: one part was used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the other was used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: The UCLA-LS showed good internal consistency. Its total score and the single-item measure showed a small correlation, and also indicated a significant moderate association with hopelessness and self-reported well-being. Based on the EFA, we identified two factors with 51.7% of the total variance explained. In the CFA, the two-factor model demonstrated a good fit. Conclusions: The findings suggested that the Hungarian UCLA-LS can be a reliable and valid tool for adolescents to measure some dimensions of loneliness. We confirmed the non-normal, relatively skewed distribution of the scale. We can conclude that the UCLA-LS measures a trait characteristic of loneliness. In the adolescent population, it is recommended to use further measures of loneliness to gain more information about the frequency and nature of the multi-faceted mental representation of loneliness.

Introduction: Moral suffering (MS) is psycho-emotional harm derived from a conflict between one’s circumstances and one’s deeply held moral values. It includes the constructs of moral distress (MD) and moral injury (MI) and is characterized by constraints or mandates preventing the perceived morally correct event. Evidence has demonstrated the application of MS in helping professions, and research has linked MS to a deterioration of mental health, self-identity, worldview, and job-performance. Aims: In this study, we examined the relationship between MD, MI, burnout, and external/internal constraints in Frontline Social Care Workers (FSCWs) in the UK. Methods: We employed a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design, recruiting 119 FSCWs (female = 91.6%, tenure 1–2 years = 27.4%) using convenience sampling. Participants completed an online survey including the Moral Injury Events Scale and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Measures for MD, external constraints (stress, time, and resources), and internal constraints (psychological safety and preparedness) were informed by previous research. Results: Participants reported a significant prevalence of moderate-to-high MD (25.4%), MI (33.3%), and burnout (64.9%), and we found significant relationships between the constructs and dimensions. Constraints were significant predictors of MS (explaining 35.3% of MD variance and 30.1% of MI variance), with stress, time, and psychological safety making the strongest contributions. Conclusions: FSCWs can be examined as a unitary population experiencing morally challenging circumstances that may result in MS and burnout. Improved MS measures, increased awareness, and policy shifts are necessary to redefine the paradigm of work-related distress, taking systemic constraints and the potential for moral harm into account.

Introduction: Stigma surrounding mental illness (MI) poses a significant obstacle to treatment access, hinders recovery, and may lead to suboptimal care. Breaking the chains of prejudice and embracing tolerance are essential steps in fostering understanding and compassion for those living with MI. Aims: This study aims to describe the levels of stigma and discrimination against individuals suffering from MI among professionals in Portuguese Integrated Continuing Care Units (ICCUs). Methods: A quantitative, observational, cross-sectional study involving 163 participants utilized a sociodemographic questionnaire, alongside two assessment instruments – the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-27) and Community Attitudes Toward Mental Illness (CAMI). Results: Results revealed significant differences in stigma levels based on education (pprejudice = .001; ptolerance = .007) and occupation (pprejudice = .025), higher stigma being associated with lower education levels and specific healthcare occupations (medical assistant). Additionally, a positive correlation was found between age and stigma perception (r = -236, pprejudice = .002; r = -167, ptolerance = .033). Conclusions: The findings underscore the urgent necessity for targeted anti-stigma interventions within Portuguese integrated continuing care units, focusing on mitigating education-based disparities, and addressing specific healthcare occupations that exhibit heightened stigma. Effectively combating stigma among professionals is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and compassionate environment in these care settings.