Mental Health Education Program Research Articles

An international interdisciplinary approach to developing video educational materials promoting mental health literacy among adolescents in the Philippines.

Adolescent mental ill-health is a common international challenge affecting both high- and lower-middle-income countries. The Republic of the Philippines enacted its first mental health law in 2019, underlining the importance of the promotion of adolescent mental health education in schools. In Japan, course instructions about mental ill-health were formulated in a Course of Study that reflects governmental curriculum guidelines. Embedded since 2022, the Course of Study aimed to promote an understanding of current issues of adolescent health. The National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Japan has been sharing experience of promoting public health practices and advancing medical technology in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the Western Pacific region. This paper describes the development process and content of these resources by an interdisciplinary team from Japan and the Philippines. The interdisciplinary team created an embedded mental health education programme using animated videos for the Philippine school curriculum to improve mental health literacy in adolescents. Two six-minute animated videos of age-relevant stories were created. The animation scenarios illustrate: 1) mental health problems and recovery; and 2) major symptoms of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Each animated video presents several items for discussion among students and/or teachers, both in class and online for students unable to attend school. Our efforts may provide good opportunities for enhancing adolescents' mental health activities in the Philippines. In the following steps, we should investigate the effectiveness of school-based MHL using these animated videos with rigorous evaluation methods.

Description of the Psychological Condition of Pregnant Women's Husbands in the Umban Sari Community Health Center Working Area

A woman's pregnancy can influence the psychological and physical health of her husband. He experiences a psychological pressure during the pregnancy period. This research aimed to find out the description of the husband’s psychological condition of the pregnant women. The design used in this reseach was descriptive research and the sampels were selected by using non-probability sampling technique with purposive sampling and gained 92 respondents as the research samples. This research employed Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ)-20. The research result obtained 92 respondents, amounted 28 respondents (30,4%) were indicated with emotional disorder. The description of the cognitive symptom which was frequently experienced the most by the husband of the pregnant women was difficult in taking decision (5,45), the anxiety symptom which was mostly experienced was not sleeping well (47,8%), and the most experienced symptom of depression was crying more frequently (27,2%), the somatic symptom and the most complained was headache (43,5%), and the most symptom of energy decrease was easily tired (43,5%). Conclusion: It is important to have an early detection or screening concerning the mental health and health education program to prevent the occurrence of mental health problems on the husband of pregnant women.

What works for whom, how and why in mental health education for undergraduate health profession students? A realist synthesis protocol

IntroductionIt has been shown that mental health education can support positive attitudes of health profession students towards people with mental health challenges, which supports them to provide optimal healthcare to...

Memahami Dampak Media Sosial terhadap Kesehatan Mental Mahasiswa

This study aims to explore the impact of social media use on the mental health of university students. Utilizing a qualitative approach, this study analyzes data from in-depth interviews with 10 students from various universities in Indonesia. Thematic analysis reveals that social media use contributes to various aspects of mental health, including anxiety, depression, and self-image disorders. The study identifies that interactions on social media often trigger social comparison and unrealistic expectations about personal life, contributing to a decline in psychological well-being. However, the results also indicate that social media can be a useful tool for supporting mental health, particularly through support communities and awareness of mental health issues. The researchers suggest a need to increase awareness of healthy and constructive social media use among students. This study also emphasizes the importance of mental health education and intervention programs in educational institutions. These results provide insights for policymakers, educators, and mental health practitioners in developing effective strategies to support the mental health of students in the digital era. This study paves the way for further research on the specific impact of social media features and algorithms on student mental health.

Building connections in health and wellbeing education: Qualitative findings of a study with New Zealand agricultural students

Background: As the burden of mental health challenges increases globally, delivering mental health education programmes to at-risk groups is critical. Important factors governing the success of health and wellbeing education include the relationships and connections formed between students and those delivering the education. This article reports on the qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study evaluating a mental health wellbeing programme delivered to first-year agricultural students across two universities in New Zealand. Design: The qualitative data that formed the basis of this article involved an exploratory approach utilising semi-structured interviews with participants who had attended a mental health wellbeing programme. Findings: The study found that feelings of connectedness in relation to the programme and the educators, as well as the material provided, improved engagement. In particular, connection was improved through the use of peer educators from within the target community, alongside considerations of timing, promotion and incentives in the delivery of programmes. Conclusions: Relationships and building connections are crucial when delivering health and wellbeing education. These findings have implications for those developing and delivering educational mental health interventions at tertiary institutions in terms of the mechanisms used to support engagement, learning and integration of knowledge.

Exploratory Study on Teacher Team Building of Mental Health Education Programs in Colleges and Universities in the Context of Information Technology

Abstract With the advancement of the information age, the discourse on mental health education is expanding. Building teacher teams for mental health education programs is an essential aspect that has attracted widespread interest. This study investigates the pivotal role of constructing a mental health curriculum focused on cognitive thinking, emotional sensitivity, and willpower. It also establishes the necessary standards for creating a teacher team dedicated to mental health education. Taking College S as a case study, the effectiveness of the mental health education teaching team is evaluated, with suggestions provided for further development in similar educational settings. The overall mean value of mental health education teacher team construction in the sample colleges is 3.47, among which, the mean value of “training management” is 3.14, which is not satisfactory. S colleges and universities have more severe structural imbalance and teacher development problems when it comes to training management, with mean values of 2.02 and 2.65 for the number of training and the training effect, respectively. Through the study, it is found that the optimization of the construction of the teacher team for mental health education courses in colleges and universities needs to be started from the cultivation and management of teachers and that the improvement of the conditions of the school and the environment of the development of human resources is the first link, so as to solve the problem of the construction of the teacher team of mental health education courses in the actual practice. Mental Health Education Program teachers are experiencing team-building issues.

Benefits and barriers: Improving boys’ mental health education in high schools

Adolescents are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis worldwide. Yet, mental health literacy and experiences of mental illness vary significantly with gender. For example, male deaths by suicide are twice as high as females on average globally, with the trend of gender disparity in mental illness emerging in high school and continuing into adulthood. With the majority of mental illnesses also emerging in adolescence, high schools are uniquely positioned to provide timely preventative mental health education for boys. To date, however, school-based mental health education programs are predominantly gender-neutral. We conducted a narrative review of the literature in mental health education programs for high school aged boys aged 12–18 years within schools and the wider community. To address the question How can high schools provide better mental health education for their male students? searches were undertaken in four databases, ProQuest (including ERIC), Informit (including A+ Education), PsychINFO and Google Scholar, between January 2021 and November 2023. There were no restrictions on publication date. Our findings suggested that to improve mental health knowledge and attitudes towards mental health and help seeking, school-based programs should be gender transformative, draw on best practice and theory in sociology, psychology, and boys’ pedagogy, utilise co-design so that student voice can be prioritised, and be tailored to the school's sociocultural context. Recommendations for schools are discussed.

Stress of the COVID-19 and its Consequences on Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients in A Selected Tertiary Level Hospital in Bangladesh

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic represents a multiple stress. Stress can worsen the symptoms of (IBS) patients.
 Aims & Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the stress of COVID -19 and its impact on IBS patients during the pandemic situation among the Bangladeshi population.
 Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the self-reported previously diagnosed IBS patients aged 18 years and above, irrespective of sex, in the Gastroenterology department of ShaheedSuhrawardy Medical College Hospital. Data was collected by a structured questionnaire which included the patient’s socio-demographic, clinical symptoms of IBS, personal habits, comorbidities, self-reported stress due to COVID-19, and its effect on the symptoms of IBS.
 Results: The study respondents consisted of 210 IBS patients, among them 71.90% were male and 28.10% were female. The majority of the study population (43.0%) belonged to age group of 31-40 years and mean age 35.12 ± 11.55 years. Most of the respondents (91.9%) reported stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most commonly reported causes of stress were fear of a family member being infected with the virus (94.8%), followed by fear of self-infection (90.5%), and death due to COVID-19 infection (68.1%). Most of the stressed respondents (72.9%) reported that stress usually exaggerates IBS symptoms. Almost 25.7% of the subjects consulted a physician for stress aggravation of the symptoms, 21.0% used sedatives due to stress, and 21.0% modified IBS medications due to stress. Moreover, 36.2% of the participants reported hampered daily activities due to IBS symptoms exacerbation.
 Conclusion: The study revealed that most of the IBS patients had been suffering from stress during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. IBS patients should be advised to participate in mental health education programs to adjust to the current pandemic COVID-19 situation.
 J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll 2022; 14(1): 50-56

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.

Urban insights into mental health: A study of depression and anxiety factors among urban adults of Bangladesh in the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This study investigates the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among urban adults in Bangladesh and explores the associated socio-demographic factors. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to May 2021 among the adults living in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, using a standard questionnaire designed using Google Forms and sent via a unique uniform resource locator (URL). The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) was employed to assess symptoms of mental health issues. The survey included responses from 993 participants. The results indicate that about 40% of the urban adults had moderate-severe anxiety symptoms, while about 46% had depression symptoms. Urban adults’ level of education, gender, occupation, place of birth, and asset quintile were found to have a significant correlation with increased anxiety and depression. The findings stressed the need for developing effective mental health services and educational programs for urban people to meet their mental health needs and prevention mechanisms. There is an urgent need for interventions that specifically target mental health issues.

Schizophrenia: jinn, magic or disease? Experiences of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Baloch ethnicity.

Cultural and religious beliefs are effective on people's attitudes towards schizophrenia and their help-seeking behaviors. This study aimed to explain the experiences of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Baloch ethnicity. This is a qualitative study with conventional content analysis approach. Purposive sampling was used and 21 participants, including family caregiver for patients with schizophrenia, a psychologist, a prayer-writer, and a normal person were interviewed in Sistan and Balochistan province in the southeast of Iran. Qualitative data were analyzed by Granheim and Lundman method. One main theme, three categories, and 10 Sub-categories were extracted from analysis of interviews. "Immersion in the cultural beliefs" was the main theme of the study with categories of "Belief in the superstitious and supernatural nature of the psychological disease", "Superstitious beliefs, an attempt to free the patient", and "Conflict between cultural beliefs and science". Help-seeking behaviors of family caregivers in Baloch ethnicity are influenced by their religious, superstitious, and cultural beliefs. Psycho-education should be part of all mental health education programs in these communities, as delays in treatment worsen the prognosis of people with schizophrenia. Training the medical staff to consider the culture, religion and therapeutic preferences of the Baloch people can be effective in advancing the goals. In addition, local influencers should stress the importance of health care alongside harmless local remedies.

Effect of a mental health education intervention on children's life satisfaction and self-confidence in rural China.

Children living in rural areas may potentially experience low levels of life satisfaction and face challenges in developing self-confidence. The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of a mental health education intervention on the life satisfaction and self-confidence of children residing in rural areas of China. A total of 1,001 children from grades 4 to 6 were randomly assigned to an intervention group (475 children, 250 boys, M = 11.57 years, SD = 1.082 years) and a control group (526 children, 279 boys, M = 11.38 years, SD = 0.980 years). Over 16 weeks, the intervention group received a mental health education program, while the control group did not. The levels of life satisfaction (including five dimensions: family, school, environmental, friends, and self-satisfaction) and self-confidence (including three dimensions: self-efficacy, self-assurance, and self-competence) were rated by all children at baseline and post-intervention. Results from paired samples t-test showed that post-intervention, the intervention group exhibited significant improvements in the areas of family, environmental, school, and self-satisfaction as well as self-efficacy, self-assurance, and self-competence. However, there was no significant improvement in friend satisfaction. Conversely, the control group showed decreases in school, environmental, and friend satisfaction, along with decreases in self-efficacy, self-assurance, and self-competence. No significant change was observed in family and self-satisfaction in this group. These findings emphasize the importance of implementing mental health education interventions for rural children, who are at risk for low life satisfaction and self-confidence. Some specific recommendations are provided for policymakers and practitioners.

A qualitative exploration of young people’s mental health needs in rural and regional Australia: engagement, empowerment and integration

BackgroundAustralian rural and regional communities are marked by geographic isolation and increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters such as drought, bushfires and floods. These circumstances strain the mental health of their inhabitants and jeopardise the healthy mental and emotional development of their adolescent populations. Professional mental health care in these communities is often inconsistent and un-coordinated. While substantial research has examined the barriers of young people’s mental health and help-seeking behaviours in these communities, there is a lack of research exploring what adolescents in rural and regional areas view as facilitators to their mental health and to seeking help when it is needed. This study aims to establish an in-depth understanding of those young people’s experiences and needs regarding mental health, what facilitates their help-seeking, and what kind of mental health education and support they want and find useful.MethodWe conducted a qualitative study in 11 drought-affected rural and regional communities of New South Wales, Australia. Seventeen semi-structured (14 group; 3 individual) interviews were held with 42 year 9 and 10 high school students, 14 high school staff, and 2 parents, exploring participants’ experiences of how geographical isolation and natural disasters impacted their mental health. We further examined participants’ understandings and needs regarding locally available mental health support resources and their views and experiences regarding mental illness, stigma and help-seeking.ResultsThematic analysis highlighted that, through the lens of participants, young people’s mental health and help-seeking needs would best be enabled by a well-coordinated multi-pronged community approach consisting of mental health education and support services that are locally available, free of charge, engaging, and empowering. Participants also highlighted the need to integrate young people’s existing mental health supporters such as teachers, parents and school counselling services into such a community approach, recognising their strengths, limitations and own education and support needs.ConclusionsWe propose a three-dimensional Engagement, Empowerment, Integration model to strengthen young people’s mental health development which comprises: 1) maximising young people’s emotional investment (engagement); 2) developing young people’s mental health self-management skills (empowerment); and, 3) integrating mental health education and support programs into existing community and school structures and resources (integration).

Effect of music breathing, a program based on mindful breathing and music listening therapy for promoting sense of coherence in young people: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health have affected people socially, psychologically, and physically. Young people particularly are having to adjust many aspects of their personal lives: including transitions to work, college, and independent living. Personal resources are important in mitigating stress and improve mental well-being during pandemic. Sense of coherence—an orientation to life—could be considered as a personal resource. Currently, a number of interventions have been developed to target the reduction of stress in young people. Little emphasis has been placed on developing sense of coherence to reduce stress and promote mental well-being among young people. Young people consider music as a preferred leisure activity and an important means of stress relief in their daily lives. However, little research concerning music therapy and sense of coherence exists.MethodsIn the proposed randomized controlled trial, a sample of 290 young people (aged 18–30) will be recruited and allocated randomly into one of two groups: the experimental group and the control group. Participants in the experimental group will participate in a 6-week Music Breathing program that will include music listening and mindful breathing guided by a certified music therapist. Participants in the control group will receive a control condition for 6 weeks Mental Health Education Programme. The primary outcome of the study will be measured using Sense of Coherence Scale. The secondary outcomes will be measured using the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, BBC Subjective Well-being scale, and salivary cortisol levels. Repeated measures analysis will be used to compare the outcomes between the two groups.DiscussionThe results will inform practice in coping with stress through promoting sense of coherence. Individuals will benefit from the long-term effect of this intervention to enhance their sense of coherence to cope with stressful events and promote better mental well-being.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05655234. Registered on December 8, 2022.

“We’re not educated on that enough, and we really should be”: adolescents’ views of mental health service education

ABSTRACT Purpose Despite the susceptibility to the experience of mental distress during adolescence, this population often demonstrate poor help-seeking behaviours. Efforts have been made by schools to address adolescents’ knowledge around mental health; less focus has been given to addressing their knowledge of mental health services and avenues for help-seeking. This study aimed to explore adolescents’ views of mental health services education. Methods An interpretive descriptive design was adopted. Thirty adolescents from Ireland participated in individual interviews. Data were analysed using content analysis. Two themes were identified Recognizing Gaps in Knowledge about Mental Health Service Education, and Enhancing Mental Health Service Education for Young People. Participants reported gaps in their knowledge about mental health services and were uncertain how to access help. Current strategies (e.g., print media) were considered tokenistic and ineffective; instead, multimedia (film/TV) approaches were recommended. Results Two themes were identified: Recognizing Gaps in Knowledge about Mental HealthService Education, and Enhancing Mental Health Service Education for YoungPeople. Participants reported gaps in their knowledge about mental healthservices and were uncertain how to access help. Current strategies (e.g., print media) were considered tokenistic and ineffective; instead, multimedia (film/TV) approaches were recommended. Conclusions Current mental health education programmes need to expand their focus beyond social/emotional well-being, providing adolescents with the knowledge they need to access appropriate supports. Considering traditional print media was viewed as ineffective, while film/TV had an influence on perceptions of mental health services, a multimedia approach to education may be an effective way of engaging this population.

Stigmatizing attitudes toward mental disorders among non-mental health nurses in general hospitals of China: a national survey.

Negative attitudes of nurses toward mental disorders have been reported in various countries. Nurses' stigmatizing attitudes can harm patients with mental disorders (PWMD), thereby delaying the provision of help to patients and leading to decreased quality of care. In this study, we aimed to assess Chinese nurses' stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with mental illness and provide a basis for future development and testing of appropriate and culturally adapted interventions to reduce it. This study aimed to assess the attitudes of Non-mental Health Nurses (NMHNs) in general hospitals in China toward the stigma of PWMD and determine the factors influencing them. A cross-sectional survey of NMHNs in general hospitals were conducted. A self-designed WeChat-based questionnaire was used that included demographic information about the need for training on mental health issues. Participants were provided with a vignette of a depression case with suicidal thoughts. The Depression Stigma Scale (DSS) and Social Distance Scale (SDS) were used to assess attitudes toward mental disorders. Nine questions on the adequacy of knowledge about anxiety and depression and the current status of scale use were used to assess the current status of training needs for mental disorders. Descriptive analysis, chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression were used for the table. A total of 8,254 nurses in non-mental health professions participated in this study. The mean DSS score of NMHNs was (17.24 ± 6.700), and the SDS score was (10.34 ± 3.154). The total detection rate of stigma among the survey respondents was 13.40% (1,107/8254). Multivariate logistic regression showed that age between 30 and 39 years [p = 0.001, OR = 1.427 (1.154-1.764)], 4 years of work experience and above [p = 0.018, OR = 1.377 (1.056-1.796)], having a bachelor's degree [p < 0.001, OR = 0.742 (0.647-0.851)], adequate psychological knowledge [p < 0.001, OR = 1.567 (1.364-1.799)], full knowledge of communication with patients with anxiety and depression [p < 0.001, OR = 1.848 (1.389-2.459)], and the need to acquire skills to identify anxiety and depression were the influencing factors associated with stigma [p < 0.001, OR = 0.343 (0.236-0.499)]. Stigmatizing attitudes toward PWMD exist among NMHNs in general hospitals in China. Thus, more mental health education programs for NMHNs are needed. Factors associated with higher morbidity stigma can be used to develop appropriate interventions to improve NMHNs' stigmatizing attitudes and provide better quality care to PWMD.

Kemurungan dan Lain-lain Komorbiditi Penyakit dalam Kalangan Wanita yang Terlibat dalam Aktiviti Pelacuran di Kuala Lumpur

This manuscript aims to examine depression and the relationship between depression and other comorbidity diseases among women involved in prostitution in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 126 women were interviewed face to face using a structured questionnaire. The M.I.N.I Neuro-Psychiatric Interview Diagnostic Test Tool 6.0 Bahasa Malaysia Version was used to measure depression among women involved in prostitution in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile other comorbidity diseases were measured based on the women’s infectious disease status such as Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Hepatitis, HIV and AIDS. The results of study were analysed using SPSS software version 21. Descriptive tests were used to determine the status of depression among women involved in prostitution. The Chi-square test was used to identify the relationship between the status of other comorbidity diseases and depression among women involved in prostitution. The results of the descriptive analysis revealed that 92 out of the 126 women who were interviewed reported suffering from depression. In fact, the results of Chi Square test (p≤0.05) analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between the status of other comorbidity diseases especially Hepatitis C and depression among women involved in prostitution in Kuala Lumpur. The findings of the study indicated that women s who were positive with Hepatitis C were more prone to report depressive disorders. Therefore, mental health education program and treatment specially for women involved in prostitution need to be integrated into the prevention programs of the infectious diseases.

코로나19 시기, 성인 장애인의 일상생활활동 어려움 비교 분석 : 국가 단위 실증 조사 자료 기반으로

Objectives: This study purposed to analyzed of safety awareness, quarantine, and difficulties in daily life activities experienced by people with disabilities in the COVID-19 situation by type of disability. It is an empirical analysis study to derive what the country needs to improve in the COVID-19 pandemic by type of disability. Methods: The 2020 Survey on the Status of Persons with Disabilities a large-scale sample data at the national level was used. 4,590 external physical disabilities, 1,191 internal organ disabilities, and 879 mental disabilities were studied. Using the SPSS 26.0 program, frequency analysis and chi-square test were used to analyze. Results: First, there was a statistically significant difference in safety awareness from disasters and accidents by disability type. It was recognized that external physical functional disabilities and mental disabilities were relatively dangerous compared to internal organ disabilities. Second, people with mental disabilities had relatively greater difficulties in obtaining information and purchasing and using quarantine equipment than other types of disabilities. Third, due to COVID-19, it was found that people with disabilities have great difficulties in daily activities such as going out, medical use, and emotional difficulties. Fourth, during the COVID-19 period, the people with disabilities had the largest support for quarantine products. Fifth, the demand for facilities and equipment in preparation for disasters considering the characteristics of disabilities was the highest as a national improvement to resolve the difficulties of people with disabilities. Conclusion: People with disabilities are suffering from difficulties in their daily lives activity such as going out, medical use, and emotional difficulties during the COVID-19 period, and more support for mental health-related health education programs is required.

Mental Health of Primary and Secondary School Teachers in the Remote Mountain Areas.

Background and objective: Teaching is widely recognized as a highly stressful profession. Job stress leads to emotional exhaustion, which in turn triggers teacher attrition. The cost is estimated as USD 2.2 billion annually for teacher dropouts. It is therefore important to understand the mental state of teachers and the factors that may influence it in order to provide the appropriate early intervention. In the past, more attention has been paid to the mental status of teachers in economically developed cities, but less research has been conducted in remote cities. In this study, we selected primary and secondary school teachers in a typical area to assess their mental health, thereby contributing to the development of effective mental health education programs for teachers in primary and secondary schools. Materials and methods: In this study, 1102 teachers from a typical city in Ningxia Province, characterized by remote mountain areas, minority communities, and a low economic level, participated. The mental status of the teachers was assessed by a Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). The effects of gender, age, level of education, place of work, and marital status on the total SCL-90 score were recorded and compared. The subscale scores of the SCL-90 and the differences among the respondents with various characteristics were analyzed. Results: In total, 1025 data were valid and used for statistical analysis. The effective rate of this study was 93.01%. The analysis showed that 25.17% of the subjects had possible mental problems. There were significant differences in age and marital status (p < 0.001). The score of teachers less than 30 years old was lower than that of other teachers (p = 0.001 vs. 30-39; p < 0.001 vs. 40-49; p < 0.001 vs. ≥50). The no-marriage teachers had the lowest score than the married group or others (p < 0.001 vs. married; p < 0.05 vs. others). Compared to the norm, teachers' mental status was poor, especially in somatization (p < 0.001), obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001), hostility (p < 0.001), phobic anxiety (p < 0.001), and psychosis (p < 0.001). There were gender differences in obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.05) and depression (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These data indicate that the mental status of these teachers is not optimistic, and married female teachers aged 40-55 years need to be given more attention. Mental health examinations can be incorporated into daily physical examination items to facilitate the timely detection and early intervention of negative emotions.

The well-being of Iranian adult citizens; is it related to mental health literacy?

Subjective well-being (SWB) is a fundamental concept in the definition of mental health and is a significant health indicator for individuals and societies. Mental health literacy (MHL) is a modifiable variable with known effects on mental health, but its relationship with SWB is not recognized. In this study, the SWB is measured, and its relationship to MHL is investigated. In this cross-sectional study conducted in Iran in 2019, 1,682 individuals participated using a convenient sampling method. Participants with a basic ability to use internet were included. A simple online form was used to collect data. SWB and MHL were measured with three questionnaires: WHO-5 Well-Being Index, Mental Health Literacy Scale, and Mental Health Positive Knowledge. Most of the participants were young (mean age 25.99, SD 9.14), female (71.9%), and had a university degree (78.5%). The mean SWB was 50.19 out of 100 (SD 20.92). More than half of the participants (50.4%) were screen-positive for clinical depression regarding their low well-being. Significant but very small correlations were detected between SWB and both MHL measures. The well-being of half of the educated Iranian citizens who participated in this study was poor and lower than previous measurements. No strong correlation is detected between SWB and MHL measures in this study. This suggests that people's well-being cannot be improved by merely implementing mental health educational programs.