Mental Health Knowledge Research Articles

Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Mental Health Conditions among Pharmacy Interns of Specialized Hospital

The purpose of this study is to determine the knowledge and attitudes toward mental health conditions of Pharmacy Interns in Specialized Hospital, and the role of demographic characteristics needs to be considered when investigating stigma and its relationship to mental health knowledge. Finally, align and formulate programs for Pharmacy Internship in Specialized Hospital to strengthen the positive attitudes and mitigate the negative attitudes toward mental health further.
 The Mental Illness: Clinician's Attitudes Scale (Medical Student Version MICA-2) and the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS) were completed by 25 Pharmacy Interns of Specialized Hospitals. Descriptive statistics were done to describe differences in demographic characteristics. Parametric Test Pearson R was used to assess the relationship between the knowledge and attitudes of Pharmacy Interns. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was the test used to compare the variations in total scores between MICA and MAKS based on various demographic factors. This study revealed that pharmacy interns of specialized hospitals have a generally positive attitude and are knowledgeable about mental health conditions. In this study, having more mental health knowledge correlates with a less stigmatizing attitude.
 There was a significant difference in the attitude of Pharmacy Interns when grouped according to their educational attainment. As a recommendation, evaluation after the Pharmacy Internship through MICA and MAKS can be done. Also, Specialized Hospitals should consider implementing intervention programs to advance mental health knowledge and positive attitudes among Pharmacy Interns.

Edukasi Kesehatan Mental Remaja Menggunakan Media Leaflet Pada Anak Sekolah Menengah Pertama

Mental health education for teenagers is very important to increase teenagers' knowledge and awareness about mental health and prevent mental health disorders in teenagers. This research aims to increase students' knowledge about adolescent mental health. This research uses an experimental method with a pretest-posttest design to measure students' level of knowledge before and after conducting youth mental health education using leaflets and short presentations. The research was conducted on 58 junior high school students at SMP Muhammadiyah 61 Tanjung Selamat, Pancur Batu sub-district, Deli Serdang Regency. The results of this activity show a positive trend in increasing students' understanding and knowledge of Mental Health using leaflet media. This is shown by the increase in the percentage of students who have good abilities in the post-test results. As many as 86.6% of class VII students and 100% of class IX students have good abilities. The improvement in the abilities of class VII and class IX students was more significant in the post-test results. The conclusion is that educating using leaflet media can expand the knowledge and understanding of Muhammadiyah 61 Tanjung Selamat Middle School students regarding mental health in adolescents.

Beyond Language and Culture: A Qualitative Exploration of Mental Health Barriers for Chinese International Students Seeking Therapy in the U.S.

This qualitative study explores the experiences and attitudes of Chinese international students in the U.S. towards psychotherapy, with an emphasis on identifying potential barriers and facilitators to their mental health treatment. Data were drawn from individual experiences of undergraduate and graduate Chinese international students who had engaged in therapy in the U.S. A grounded theory approach was employed to dissect these experiences and assess their attitudes towards psychotherapy. The grounded theory identified several themes from the students’ therapeutic experiences, such as: the inconsequential role of language barriers, the significant yet not prohibitive impact of cultural differences, the critical role of health insurance, the influence of therapists’ professional demeanor, and the correlation between mental health knowledge and attitudes towards therapy. Interestingly, the study also unveiled an emergent theme concerning professional boundaries within therapy. These findings suggest that while language and cultural differences might not be direct obstacles to therapy, factors such as therapists’ backgrounds and attitudes, insurance coverage, and accessibility can pose substantial challenges to Chinese international students seeking mental health treatment. Importantly, a heightened level of mental health knowledge was associated with more positive attitudes toward therapy. As a culmination of these findings, we formu- lated a triadic model emphasizing cultural understanding within the therapeutic setting, service accessibility, and mental health knowledge as key influences on the psychotherapy experiences of Chinese international students.

Evaluation of a pilot online education program to develop midwives’ knowledge, skill and confidence in perinatal mental health in rural South Australia

One in five women will experience perinatal anxiety and/or depression. In South Australia, a rural health service identified a high proportion of women with risk of perinatal mental health challenges and sought additional education for midwives. In response, a six-week facilitated, online perinatal mental health education program (e-PMHEP) was piloted. AimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the (e-PMHEP) for rural midwives, nurses and Aboriginal maternal infant care practitioners. MethodProgram evaluation incorporated a validated online pre/post survey to assess self-reported knowledge, skill and confidence regarding perinatal mental healthcare. Additional questions sought feedback on satisfaction and feasibility. FindingsSixteen participants from rural South Australia engaged in the project from June to August 2022. Twelve participants completed the online pre/post survey. The overall pre/post knowledge scores were statistically significant (t = 2.73, 8df, p = 0.025) with improvement from the pre to post-test. Pre/post data also showed a measurable increase in confidence and skills. All respondents agreed that the content addressed their learning needs and would recommend this program to other practitioners. DiscussionThe e-PMHEP appeared beneficial in developing knowledge, skills and confidence regarding perinatal mental healthcare in rural midwives and practitioners. Only a third of practitioners routinely developed a mental health care plan with women. Key strengths of the program included the accessible content, and the combination of an experienced mental health clinician and a facilitator with lived experience. ConclusionProviding an accessible, facilitated online perinatal mental health education program could be beneficial for rural midwives.

Integrated child mental health care provision in Pakistan: End-user and provider perspectives

PurposeChildren in majority world countries (MWC) have high rates of unmet mental health needs, with limited access to specialist resources. Integration of child mental health in existing psychosocial care can improve provision. Through a Train-the-Trainer (ToT) cascade approach, this study aimed to provide a framework for such integration in resource-constrained communities in Karachi, Pakistan and to establish hindering and enabling factors.Design/methodology/approachEight practitioners attended a child mental health ToT program, including training on a five-domain service transformation framework. Trainers co-designed and implemented interventions that integrated child mental health knowledge and skills on each domain. These were attended by 136 end-users (youth, parents, teachers, managers), of whom a sub-sample of 47 stakeholders, as well as the trainers, attended focus groups on their experiences. Data were analysed through a thematic codebook.FindingsEstablished themes reflected common ingredients across all domains/interventions that were deemed important for child mental health care integration. These included child-centric approaches, positive parenting, community mobilization and systemic changes.Originality/valueIntegrated child mental health care informed by the Train-of-Trainer approach can be a useful model for resource-constrained MWC contexts. Integrated interventions should be co-produced with communities.

A film-based intervention (Intinn) to enhance adolescent mental health literacy and well-being: multi-methods evaluation study

PurposeAdolescent mental health is a global concern. There is an urgent need for creative, multimedia interventions reflecting adolescent culture to promote mental health literacy and well-being. This study aims to assess the impact of a film-based intervention on adolescent mental health literacy, well-being and resilience.Design/methodology/approachA pretest-posttest intervention with a multi-methods evaluation was used. A convenience sample of ten schools facilitated students aged 15–17 years to engage in an online intervention (film, post-film discussion, well-being Webinar). Participants completed surveys on well-being, resilience, stigma, mental health knowledge and help-seeking. Five teachers who facilitated the intervention participated in post-implementation interviews or provided a written submission. Analysis included paired-t-test and effect size calculation and thematic analysis.FindingsMatched pretest-posttest data were available on 101 participants. There were significant increases in well-being, personal resilience and help-seeking attitudes for personal/emotional problems, and suicidal ideation. Participants’ free-text comments suggested the intervention was well-received, encouraging them to speak more openly about mental health. Teachers similarly endorsed the intervention, especially the focus on resilience.Originality/valueIntinn shows promise in improving adolescents’ mental health literacy and well-being. Film-based interventions may encourage adolescents to seek professional help for their mental health, thus facilitating early intervention.

Mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among correctional workers.

Mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among correctional workers.

Effects of an Individualized mHealth-Based Intervention on Health Behavior Change and Cardiovascular Risk Among People With Metabolic Syndrome Based on the Behavior Change Wheel: Quasi-Experimental Study.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common public health challenge. Health-promoting behaviors such as diet and physical activity are central to preventing and controlling MetS. However, the adoption of diet and physical activity behaviors has always been challenging. An individualized mobile health (mHealth)-based intervention using the Behavior Change Wheel is promising in promoting health behavior change and reducing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. However, the effects of this intervention are not well understood among people with MetS in mainland China. We aimed to evaluate the effects of the individualized mHealth-based intervention using the Behavior Change Wheel on behavior change and ASCVD risk in people with MetS. We conducted a quasi-experimental, nonrandomized study. Individuals with MetS were recruited from the health promotion center of a tertiary hospital in Zhejiang province, China. The study involved 138 adults with MetS, comprising a control group of 69 participants and an intervention group of 69 participants. All participants received health education regarding diet and physical activity. The intervention group additionally received a 12-week individualized intervention through a WeChat mini program and a telephone follow-up in the sixth week of the intervention. Primary outcomes included diet, physical activity behaviors, and ASCVD risk. Secondary outcomes included diet self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, knowledge of MetS, quality of life, and the quality and efficiency of health management services. The Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were primarily used for data analysis. Data analysis was conducted based on the intention-to-treat principle using SPSS (version 25.0; IBM Corp). Baseline characteristics did not differ between the 2 groups. Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in diet behavior, physical activity behavior, diet self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, knowledge of MetS, physical health, and mental health after a 12-week intervention (P=.04, P=.001, P=.04, P=.04, P=.001, P=.04, P=.04, and P<.05). The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in outcomes from pre- to postintervention evaluations (P<.001, P=.03, P<.001, P=.04, P<.001, P<.001, and P<.001). The intervention also led to enhanced health management services and quality. The individualized mHealth-based intervention using the Behavior Change Wheel was effective in promoting diet and physical activity behaviors in patients with MetS. Nurses and other health care professionals may incorporate the intervention into their health promotion programs.

Self-diagnose is associated with knowledge and attitude towards mental illness of university students in Indonesia

BackgroundMental illness is still stigmatized and poorly understood in Indonesian society, but university students could be a key target for promoting positive attitudes and increasing awareness. This study aims to explore the knowledge and attitudes of university students in Indonesia toward mental illness and to identify associated factors, emphasizing self-diagnosis.MethodAn analytical cross-sectional study on university students in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was conducted from September to November 2022. Participants completed an online questionnaire about their sociodemographic data, mental health knowledge (utilized Mental Health Knowledge Schedule questionnaire), and attitudes toward mental illness (utilized Community Attitude to Mental Illness Inventory questionnaire). Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression were performed to analyze collected data.ResultsA total of 402 university students were included in the study. Results demonstrated that half of the students had good mental illness knowledge (50.7%), and slightly more than half had favorable attitudes (53.0%). Self-diagnosis was significantly associated with poorer knowledge and negative attitudes (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19 to 4.50 and AOR: 2.12, 95% CI 1.13 to 3.99; P < 0.05, respectively). Additionally, students who had never studied psychology or psychiatry and had a family mental illness history were at higher risk (P < 0.05) for poor knowledge of mental illness (AOR: 2.24, 95% CI 1.18 to 4.25 and AOR: 1.82, 95% CI 1.00 to 3.30, respectively). Interestingly, students with lower monthly family incomes had more positive attitudes (AOR: 0.39, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.86; P < 0.05). A very weak negative correlation (ρ = − 0.173; P < 0.001) between mental illness knowledge and attitudes was observed.ConclusionPromoting awareness and knowledge about mental health, as well as preventing self-diagnosis, is crucial in addressing the lack of knowledge and negative attitudes toward mental illness among university students in Indonesia, which is expected to play a role in the wider community ultimately.

Analisis Model Matematika dalam Menemukan Solusi Permasalahan Stunting Akibat Kesehatan Mental Masyarakat di Kabupaten Jeneponto

Stunting is a complex public health issue, often caused by various factors, including individual and community mental health aspects. This study aims to present a systematic solution to the problem of stunting through the analysis of a mathematical model that integrates mental health factors in the community. The research begins by identifying mental health factors contributing to the increase in stunting cases. Primary and secondary data are used to build a mathematical model that takes into account variables such as stress levels, depression, anxiety in the population, considering other factors like nutritional status and the environment. The simulation results from this mathematical model provide in-depth insights into the impact of mental health on stunting rates in the community. This research shows a percentage increase 1,78% that improved access to mental health services, education, and social support significantly reduces the stunting rate. Moreover, this model allows for the identification of the most effective intervention strategies, including government programs. By combining careful mathematical analysis with knowledge of mental health, this study makes a significant contribution to formulating appropriate policies and intervention strategies to reduce stunting rates in society.&#x0D;

A commentary on infant mental health knowledge within the training of family therapists

AbstractThis paper considers the role of academic training programs in the integration of family therapy and infant mental health (IMH) curricula. It takes the form of a conversation between senior academic staff of the Bouverie Centre in Australia and the special issue editors. Robyn Elliott and Colleen Cousins are family therapists, trauma specialists, and academics at the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University. Robyn supervises the development and delivery of the Master of Clinical Family Therapy, accredited by the Australian Association of Family Therapy. Colleen is a psychologist and family therapist and coordinates the Graduate Certificate of Family Therapy program. They are in dialogue here with the special issue co‐editors, Jessica Opie and Jennifer McIntosh. We consider the degree to which current family therapy training holds the infant in mind, and approaches to deepening the future training nexus between IMH and family therapy.

Analysis of the Relationship Between Learning and Entertainment from the Perspective of Behavioral Economics

Under the background of high and new technology increasingly becoming advanced productive forces, the world has put forward urgent requirements for high-quality talents. However, with the development of information technology, the increasingly abundant recreational activities seem to become an obstacle to students' learning, which greatly increases the difficulty of cultivating talents. In view of this phenomenon, this paper analyzes the relationship between learning and entertainment from the perspective of "entertainment first" social psychology and ARCS learning motivation model. It points out that entertainment occupies the learning time mainly because the different time span leads to the reversal of people's time preference. In the future, the government should speed up the popularization of mental health knowledge and strengthen the supervision of digital platforms; the society needs to establish more effective learning and evaluation mechanisms, promote individuals abilities to collect and process information using information technology, establish a more comprehensive learning reward system and attach importance to cultivating students self-discipline. These practical and effective measures will help promote balance between entertainment and learning and adapt to the trend of talent development in society.

Abstract 16805: A Mental Health Curriculum for Pediatric Cardiology Fellows: Increasing Preparedness of Pediatric Cardiologists to Meet the Needs of Patients at Increased Risk

Introduction: Mental health (MH) is an important yet understudied area of care for patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). It is known that children and adults with CHD have increased incidence of MH disorders when compared to their peers. MH disorders are not reliably identified in the pediatrics population at large, and many children who would benefit from treatment of MH conditions do not receive appropriate care. Pediatric subspecialty fellows feel MH should be within their scope, but few feel competent in their ability to appropriately screen and make treatment referrals. Research Question: Does a didactic-based MH curriculum improve the preparedness of pediatric cardiology fellows to identify and refer patients at need for MH care? Aims: Determine the comfort of pediatric cardiology fellows with MH knowledge, screening, and treatment recommendations, before and after a didactic- based curriculum. Methods: A 9 session didactic based curriculum was designed by a multi-disciplinary team of experts, administered over 9 months (September 2021 - June 2022 and September 2022 - June 2023). Topics included MH and CHD Overview, MH Screening and Clinic-Based Interventions, Psychopharmacology, Delirium, Substance Abuse, Trauma-Informed Care, and Adult CHD and Transitional Care. An investigator designed survey was developed to assess fellow comfort with MH knowledge, screening, and treatment recommendation domains, and was administered at the beginning and end of the curriculum in each academic year. Results: 24 fellows participated over 2 academic years, 14 completed the pre-post survey (11/17 in year 1, 3/6 in year 2). Most participants were in their first year of training (9/14, 57%). Overall, fellow comfort with MH topics increased significantly (mean score 2.89±0.46 vs. 3.4±0.4, p = 0.0005), with improved comfort in the MH knowledge and treatment recommendation domains (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001). Conclusion: A didactic based MH curriculum improves the comfort and preparedness of pediatric cardiology fellows to address MH concerns of their patients. This curriculum will continue to be refined in topics over time but could be generalized to training programs nationally and across pediatric specialties to improve MH care for high-risk patients.

Knowledge, attitudes, and help-seeking behaviour for mental illness in a Christian community.

Christian beliefs have a role in conceptualising mental illness, which determines help-seeking behaviour and treatment choices. The topic of mental illness is controversial in many Christian circles and is often avoided because of the beliefs and teachings stemming from the Christian faith. Inadequate and inaccurate knowledge about mental illness and its causes negatively impacts the attitudes towards mental illness, the mentally ill, and ultimately help-seeking behaviour. This study aimed to explore knowledge, attitudes, and help-seeking behaviour for mental illness in a Christian community. A descriptive, quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted, comprising 300 congregants from a Pentecostal Christian charismatic church - Assemblies of God in KwaZulu-Natal. A socio-demographic tool was used to capture the relevant social, demographic, and religious information. Existing self-administered questionnaires were used to collect information in four areas: Mental Health Knowledge Schedule, the Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale, Community Attitudes Towards Mentally Ill scale and the Dimensions of Religiosity Scale to determine the degree of religiosity. The population studied demonstrates high levels of mental health knowledge and a tolerant attitude towards persons who have mental illness. There is a high preference for professional treatment. The high knowledge in this Christian community is associated with a reduction in stigma and a positive attitude towards mental illness. If mental health awareness is encouraged, it helps to encourage positive help-seeking practices tolerance, and treatment outcomes. This study highlights levels of knowledge and its influence on help-seeking practices and stigma in a Christian community.

A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effectiveness of the Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health (BEAM) Program for Improving Secondary School Educators’ Confidence, Behavior, Knowledge, and Attitudes Toward Student Mental Health

Secondary school educators are well placed to recognize and respond to mental illness in adolescents; however, many report low confidence and skills in doing so. A confirmatory cluster randomized controlled trial involving 295 educators (Mean age: 40.10 years, SD: 10.47; 76.6% female, 2.7% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) from 73 Australian secondary schools (22 in rural-regional locations) evaluated the effectiveness of a new professional development training program that aimed to improve secondary school educators’ confidence, behavior, knowledge, and attitudes toward student mental health. Relative to the control, training participants reported significantly greater levels of confidence in recognizing and responding to student mental health issues, perceived mental health knowledge and mental health awareness, and mental health literacy, at post-intervention (10-weeks post-baseline; d = 0.26–0.35) and at 3-month follow-up ( d = −0.21 to 0.41). Findings indicate that the Building Educators’ skills in Adolescent Mental health (BEAM) program improves important training outcomes for educators in the domain of student mental health.

Associations between teacher-student relationship and externalizing problem behaviors among Chinese rural adolescent.

The primary objective of this study is to present a fresh perspective on the correlation between teacher-student relationships and externalizing problem behaviors among adolescents. While previous research has examined this connection, there is still an insufficient understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Moreover, the crucial role of peer relationships, mental health, and parental knowledge has been overlooked. In this study, a total of 6,919 Chinese rural adolescents aged 13-19 years participated by completing an anonymous self-report questionnaire. The results show that: (1) teacher-student relationship has a protective effect against the development of externalizing problem behaviors; (2) peer relationship and mental health both have a mediating role in the relationship between teacher-student relationship and externalizing problem behaviors; (3) teacher-student relationship can indirectly affect externalizing problem behaviors through the chain mediation of peer relationship and mental health; (4) parental knowledge plays a moderating role between the teacher-student relationship and externalizing problem behaviors. As the level of parental knowledge increases among rural adolescents, the impact of the teacher-student relationship on externalizing problem behaviors becomes more pronounced; and (5) the impact of teacher-student relationship on externalizing problem behaviors has no significant gender differences. Given the study's empirical outcomes, we discuss potential explanations and advocate for a comprehensive pedagogical approach to mitigate rural adolescent externalizing behaviors. This entails nurturing teacher-student relations, fostering inclusive peer environments, emphasizing mental health literacy, and synergizing with caregivers for a holistic home-school intervention.

Suicide in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introductions: The COVID-19 pandemic affects various aspects of life, not only in terms of health but also economically and socially. Several studies have shown that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is related to an increase in the number of suicides. The study review aims to determine the incidence of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study review was compiled using the literature review method by collecting sources from valid scientific literature, namely PubMed and Scientific Direct. Discussions: Suicide risk is related to several factors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as a significant relationship between suicide and living in an area with a high prevalence of COVID-19 infection, loss of income due to the pandemic, having relatives or acquaintances who died from COVID-19, fear of being infected by COVID-19, and changes in the learning system. Things that can be protective factors include mental health knowledge, exercising regularly during the pandemic, family support, and a high level of awareness and preventive measures for COVID-19. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic also affects mental health. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has a relationship with increased suicides.

AI Chatbots And Psychotherapy: A Match Made In Heaven?

Dear Editor, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing psychotherapy by combating its inaccessibility.1 AI chatbots and conversational agents are among the most promising integrations in psychiatry and psychology. By harnessing the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence (Figure I), AI chatbots and conversational agents can provide a level of interaction and support previously unattainable in the landscape of mental health. In this letter, I will explore some of their numerous benefits. Chatbots have evolved from early examples such as ELIZA, a programmable natural language processing program, and PARRY, a program that mimicked the behaviour of a human with schizophrenia, to modern ones such as Woebot, Tess, and Replika, which offer cognitive behavioural therapy, sessions, and self-understanding, respectively. Some chatbots such as Kaspar and Nao are also embodied in physical robots, which help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) learn social skills and facial recognition. AI chatbots can address the challenges of mental health care, such as the shortage of professionals2, especially in underdeveloped countries; the stigma of seeking help, which is prevalent in many cultures; the cost of therapy, which can be prohibitive for many people; and the limitations of human therapists, who can have variable attention spans, attention-to-detail, and memory capacities. AI chatbots can also offer benefits such as accessibility, anonymity, personalization, and effectiveness. Studies have shown that AI chatbots can improve the outcomes and experiences of mental health patients in various ways, such as enhancing the performance of those with ASD with robotic "therapists"1, increasing their disclosure of sensitive information to chatbots2, and reducing their distress after talking about their problems with conversational agents3. The benefits of AI chatbots for mental health are clear. However, they also face many challenges that limit their usability and reliability. They may lack the emotional skills of human therapists and may not be accountable for their diagnoses and recommendations. They may also not be based on sound mental health knowledge and evidence, as technology companies may not have expertise and experience in this field. Therefore, technology companies and mental health professionals must collaborate and adopt a rational approach to develop and evaluate chatbots. Only then can chatbots realize their full potential and complement existing mental health services safely and ethically.

Measuring School Staff Confidence and Worries to Deliver Mental Health Content: An Examination of the Psychometric Properties of Two Measures in a Sample of Secondary School Staff

Secondary school staff are often tasked with delivering mental health content to students, yet there has been little research on staff confidence to do so. Given the responsibility placed on staff to support student mental health, reliable and valid measures are needed to facilitate assessment of teacher confidence in the classroom and evaluation of the impact of interventions designed to enhance teacher confidence and ultimately support the delivery of mental health interventions in schools. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Teacher Confidence Scale for Delivering Mental Health Content (TCS-MH) and the What Worries Me Scale (WWMS), both developed by Linden and Stuart (2019) and previously tested on a sample of elementary school teachers. Within this paper we examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of these measures in a large sample (N = 644) of secondary school staff. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that each scale had a single factor structure with all original items retained. This was further supported with confirmatory factor analysis. Examination of the reliability of both scales found that they had good internal consistency. Finally, through correlation analyses, both measures demonstrated satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity from mental health knowledge, mental health stigma, general anxiety, and teacher efficacy. Both the TCS-MH and the WWMS show great promise as measures of secondary school staff confidence to deliver mental health content.

Mental health literacy of students: evaluation of school-based intervention in Germany

Abstract Background Low mental health literacy, which encompasses a set of skills related to recognizing, managing, and preventing mental disorders, has been identified as a crucial cause for low rates of mental health help-seeking, especially among young people. Thus, a strategy for strengthening the mental health literacy of youth is through provision of universal school interventions. In order to add to the evidence-base of the effectiveness of such interventions, an already existing program (“Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide”) was translated into German and carried out in schools. Methods A non-randomized pretest-posttest control group design was chosen to verify whether mental health knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, help-seeking efficacy (as central indicators for mental health literacy) improved after the implementation of the program. A pen and paper survey was conducted in schools to gather data from participating students. Statistical analysis was conducted through paired sample t-tests for the intervention and control group individually. Results Nine classes with 169 students (Ø 15.7 years old) participated as intervention group, while five classes with 82 students (Ø 15.3 years old) served as a control group. Statistically significant improvements were observed after participating in the program for mental health knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes and help-seeking efficacy in the intervention group. Conclusions This study shows that a mental health literacy resource could be successfully adapted and used in the German school context and was able to improve relevant indicators of mental health literacy. More data needs to be collected in order to inform on the stability of the results in time and to verify whether effectiveness varies with characteristics related to school environment or socio-demographics of participating youth. Further, comprehensive nationwide roll-outs of the intervention can be implemented as a public mental health strategy.