Mental Health Information Research Articles

Seeking and Sharing Mental Health Information on Social Media During COVID-19: Role of Depression and Anxiety, Peer Support, and Health Benefits.

This study conducted a cross-sectional online survey (N = 865) to determine whether self-ratings of depression and anxiety, perceived peer support, and perceived health benefits of social media predicted mental health–related information seeking and sharing behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hierarchical regression models showed only depression self-ratings, anxiety self-ratings, and perceived health benefits predicted information seeking, whereas depression self-ratings, anxiety self-ratings, perceived peer support, and perceived health benefits all predicted information sharing. There was a statistically significant positive interaction of anxiety self-ratings and perceived peer support on information sharing. Participants’ experience of COVID-19 predicted both information seeking and sharing. Mental health–related information seeking and sharing differed across social media platforms, with YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram used most for information seeking and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter used most for information sharing. Findings suggest social media mental health–related seeking and sharing behaviors have the potential to facilitate coping surrounding mental health.

Necessity for Improvement of Qualitative and Quantitative Contents of Persian Wikipedia in Field of Mental Health

Wikipedia is one of the most important online sources of information that can be edited by any one. About 80% of people in developed countries use the Internet to search for mental health information, which generally includes disease symptoms, illnesses, and treatment methods. Existing studies have reported varying degrees of quality for mental health information on the Wikipedia website. To our knowledge, there is no study on the quality of information on the Persian version of Wikipedia, especially in the field of mental health. Due to the importance of Wikipedia for Internet users, the main purpose of this letter is to present a brief report on the Iranian authors' efforts in improving the quality and quantity of mental health information on the Persian Wikipedia. This can a step to promote the general knowledge of the community about the mental health.

The contribution of multidimensional perfectionism and aesthetic sensitivity to the prediction of dysmorphic and symmetry concerns in a community sample

• 53.9% of a community sample reported appearance-related symmetry concerns • These typically affected the breasts/chest, teeth, nose, and eyebrows • Socially-prescribed perfectionism significantly predicted dysmorphic and symmetry concerns • Self-oriented perfectionism also significantly predicted symmetry concerns • Aesthetic sensitivity was not a significant predictor of dysmorphic or symmetry concerns Body image concerns exist on a continuum in the community, and can include dysmorphic as well as appearance-related symmetry concerns. The current study aimed to investigate the contribution of perfectionism and aesthetic sensitivity to the prediction of dysmorphic and symmetry concerns. Respondents were 343 individuals from the community. Basic demographic and mental health information (e.g. negative emotions) was collected. Online measures assessing dysmorphic concerns, including the presence and nature of symmetry concerns, multidimensional perfectionism and an aesthetic sensitivity task were completed. Two regressions (hierarchical and logistic) examined predictors of dysmorphic and symmetry concerns. Up to 42.9% and 53.9% of respondents respectively reported dysmorphic and symmetry concerns. The latter affected the breasts/chest, teeth, nose, and eyebrows . Socially-prescribed perfectionism significantly predicted dysmorphic and symmetry concerns, with self-oriented perfectionism also predicting symmetry concerns. Aesthetic sensitivity was not a significant predictor. Symmetry concerns may be widespread in the community. Socially-prescribed perfectionism might be a viable therapeutic target for dysmorphic and symmetry concerns. Replication studies in clinical cohorts are needed to corroborate whether these trends extend to the clinical end of the body image spectrum.

Impact of coronavirus 2019 pandemic on post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among pregnant women in Jordan.

Objective:To examine the prevalence of psychological symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak among pregnant women and its association with gestational age and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and November 2020 to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in pregnancy using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Pregnant women 18 years and older were recruited from antenatal and obstetrics clinics in Jordan. A total of 481 pregnant women participated in an online survey developed on Google Forms. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, mental health information, and lifestyle changes. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the Perceived Support Scale, and the Mental Health Lifestyle Scale were administered. Variables related to sociodemographic information and dietary behavior and perception during the COVID-19 pandemic were also assessed.Results:The results showed that 58.6% of pregnant women reported the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and women in the second trimester were more likely to show post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms compared with the first and third trimesters (p = 0.001). Moreover, a higher level of education, employment, poor dietary habits, and changes due to the pandemic were significantly associated with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised score and the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.Conclusion:The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with high rates of psychological distress among pregnant women. Identifying mothers at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may help improve maternity services and prevent adverse child outcomes.

“Watching my family being killed by terrorists made me really depressed”: Mental health experiences, challenges and needed support of young internally displaced persons in northern Nigeria

BackgroundOver 3.9 million people have been displaced in Nigeria as a result of the over one-decade-long Boko Haram insurgency and about 2.1 million of this population are internally displaced within the country. Young internally displaced persons (IDPs) are at higher risk of mental illness such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among others, however, there are sparse studies on this population. Therefore, this study explored the mental health experiences, challenges, and needed support for young internally displaced persons in Durumi and New Kuchingoro Internally Displaced Persons Camps in Nigeria. MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted among young IDPs in Durumi and New Kuchingoro IDP camps in Northern Nigeria. Fourteen (14) focus group discussions comprising 89 participants and 30 in-depth interviews with 30 participants were conducted with young IDPs. The interviews were in Hausa and Pidgin English, audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and applied thematic analysis was done using MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020 ResultsA total of 89 participants consisting of 47 males and 42 females participated in the FGDs and IDIs. Five key themes emerged from the FGDs and IDI: (1) knowledge about mental health, (2) mental Health Experiences, (3) coping strategies, (4) availability of mental health and other health Support, and (5) needed support. Young IDPs had fair knowledge about mental healthcare. Participants reported their experience before displacement as being peaceful with members of the family together in a good environment while they experienced stress, trauma, shock, sadness, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD during and post displacement. Personal coping strategies such as listening to music, engaging in sports, reading books, farming, and other economic activities were reported by participants. Participants reported the absence of structured and specialized mental health support in the IDP camps and solicited mental health, physical health, economic and educational support. ConclusionYoung IDPs had negative experiences that led to symptoms of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD among others with little or no access to quality mental healthcare. Hence, they require specialized and structured mental health support to lead healthy and productive lives. Policy and programs aimed at increasing access to mental health information and services for forced migrants are recommended.

Slovenian Validation of the Mental Health Literacy Scale (S-MHLS) on the General Population: A Four-Factor Model.

The aim of the present validation study is to determine the psychometric properties of the Slovenian version of the Mental Health Literacy Scale. For this purpose, the factorial structure, internal consistency, cross-cultural, convergent and discriminant validity were assessed. The measure was translated and adapted to Slovenian context through a blind back-translation process. It was applied to a representative sample of the Slovenian adult population via an online research panel. A total of 1189 participants (598 women), aged between 18 and 95 years (M = 46.7, SD = 16.2) completed the survey. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses, reliability analyses, hypothesis testing, and correlational analyses were conducted. The analyses rejected a hypothesised unidimensional model and demonstrated that a four-factor model with 27 items was the most theoretically and psychometrically adequate. The Slovenian version of Mental Health Literacy Scale (S-MHLS) consists of the following factors: (1) Attitudes Towards People With Mental Health Problems, (2) General Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems and Help-Seeking, (3) Recognition of Mental Health Disorders and (4) Knowledge About Seeking Mental Health Information. The factors have adequate construct validity and internal consistency, which is also adequate for the entire S-MHLS. However, a decreased scope of the content might result in an inadequate representation of the construct of mental health literacy. In addition, the psychometric interpretation of the MHLS varies widely in validation studies across different linguistic contexts. Therefore, we propose a further improvement of the instrument with a psychometrically and theoretically sound multifactorial structure that demonstrates strong cross-cultural validity.

Mental health literacy amongst children with common mental health problems and their parents in Java, Indonesia: a qualitative study.

Optimising mental health literacy (MHL) at the individual and population level can be an effective mental health improvement and prevention tool. However, concepts of MHL are largely based on evidence from high-income countries. Little is known about the manifestation and role of MHL in countries where collectivist health and social cultures are dominant. This study aimed to examine the MHL of Indonesian children and young people (CYP) with experience of common mental health problems and their parents. Semi-structured interviews with 40 participants (19 CYP aged 11-15 with experience of common mental health problems and 21 parents) from three areas of Java, Indonesia. Data were analysed using framework analysis, informed by Jorm's 1997 Mental Health Literacy Framework. Parents and CYP demonstrated relatively low levels of MHL defined from a conventional perspective. Religiosity and spirituality were salient in participants' accounts, particularly parents, as were narratives about personal responsibility. These beliefs appeared to contribute to a high level of self-blame for mental illness, self-reliance for symptom management, the foregrounding of support from spiritual/traditional healers and a reduced propensity to access professional help. CYP were heavily reliant on family support, but parents often felt they were not best placed to communicate with their children about mental health. Providing trusted, technology-based sources of mental health information were advocated by CYP. Robust efforts are needed to improve MHL in low- and middle-income countries drawing on culturally appropriate approaches to reduce stigma and optimise timely, effective help-seeking for CYP. Enhancing parental and family level literacy may be efficacious, especially when combined with mechanisms to facilitate open communication, as may the development of standalone interventions directly developed to reach younger generations. Future research may usefully establish the comparative efficacy and acceptability of these different approaches.

Social media use for the dissemination of mental health information by medical students

Social media use for the dissemination of mental health information by medical students

Quality evaluation of digital voice assistants for the management of mental health conditions

<abstract><sec> <title>Background</title> <p>Digital voice assistants (DVAs) are gaining increasing popularity as a tool for accessing online mental health information. However, the quality of information provided by DVAs is not known. This study seeks to evaluate the quality of DVA responses to mental health-related queries in relation to six quality domains: comprehension ability, relevance, comprehensiveness, accuracy, understandability and reliability.</p> </sec><sec> <title>Materials and methods</title> <p>Four smartphone DVAs were evaluated: Apple Siri, Samsung Bixby, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Sixty-six questions and answers on mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and bipolar disorder) were compiled from authoritative sources, clinical guidelines and public search trends. Three evaluators scored the DVAs from an in-house-developed evaluation rubric. Data were analyzed by using the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon rank sum tests.</p> </sec><sec> <title>Results</title> <p>Across all questions, Google Assistant scored the highest (78.9%), while Alexa scored the lowest (64.5%). Siri (83.9%), Bixby (87.7%) and Google Assistant (87.4%) scored the best for questions on depression, while Alexa (72.3%) scored the best for OCD questions. Bixby scored the lowest for questions on general mental health (0%) and OCD (0%) compared to all other DVAs. In terms of the quality domains, Google Assistant scored significantly higher for comprehension ability compared to Siri (100% versus 88.9%, p < 0.001) and Bixby (100% versus 94.5%, p < 0.001). Moreover, Google Assistant also scored significantly higher than Siri (100% versus 66.7%, p < 0.001) and Alexa (100% versus 75.0%, p < 0.001) in terms of relevance. In contrast, Alexa scored the worst in terms of accuracy (75.0%), reliability (58.3%) and comprehensiveness (22.2%) compared to all other DVAs.</p> </sec><sec> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Overall, Google Assistant performed the best in terms of responding to the mental health-related queries, while Alexa performed the worst. While the comprehension abilities of the DVAs were good, the DVAs had differing performances in the other quality domains. The responses by DVAs should be supplemented with other information from authoritative sources, and users should seek the help and advice of a healthcare professional when managing their mental health conditions.</p> </sec></abstract>

A Techno-Socio Exploration of Mental Health Communication on Social Media

Drawing on the social media affordance construct, this paper presents a deeper understanding of the process of producing, circulating, consuming, and reproducing mental health information on social media. The paper examines mental health-related subreddits, Facebook pages, and online website forum threads. This paper goes beyond the binary perspective of identifying positive or negative effects of using social media on mental wellbeing to interrogate how social media affordances shape and are shaped by the communication process. The findings show that social media affordances shaped production, circulation, consumption, and reproduction processes through three main aspects namely sustaining already existing mental health information, and to a less extent creating opportunities for new information to emerge as well as sustaining dominant asymmetrical relations of power.

Research to Clinical Practice-Youth seeking mental health information online and its impact on the first steps in the patient journey.

Online searches about anxiety and depression are recorded every 3-5s. As such, information and communication technologies (ICT) have enormous potential to enable or impair help-seeking and patient-professional interactions. Youth studies indicate that ICT searches are undertaken before initial mental health consultations, but no publications have considered how this online activity affects the first steps of the patient journey in youth mental health settings. State-of-the-art review using an iterative, evidence mapping approach to identify key literature and expert consensus to synthesize and prioritise clinical and research issues. Adolescents and young adults are more likely to seek health advice via online search engines or social media platforms than from a health professional. Young people not only search user-generated content and social media to obtain advice and support from online communities but increasingly contribute personal information online. A major clinical challenge is to raise professional awareness of the likely impact of this activity on mental health consultations. Potential strategies range from modifying the structure of clinical consultations to ensure young people are able to disclose ICT activities related to mental health, through to the development and implementation of 'internet prescriptions' and a youth-focused 'toolkit'.

EMental Health Literacy and Psychological Distress as Predictors of Barriers to Mental Health Services

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, psychologists have begun to rely heavily on technology to provide mental health information and services (APA, 2020). As the older adult population increases, the number of older adults in need of mental health services also increases; however, little is known about the way older adults might utilize technology to inform mental health-related decisions. This study expands on the construct of eHealth Literacy by examining eMental Health Literacy, which is defined as the degree to which individuals seek, find, understand, and appraise basic mental health information and services online that are needed to inform mental health-related decisions. A sample of 244 older adults (M=68.34, range=65-82 years) were recruited online through Amazon Mechanical Turk. A structural equation model was estimated specifying eMental Health Literacy and psychological distress as predictors of extrinsic and intrinsic barriers to mental health services. After adding three correlated errors, the model achieved good fit (χ2(110)=329.20, p<.001, SRMR=.08, CFI=.93, TLI=.91, GFI=.86, RMSEA=.09). All indicators were significantly related to their latent construct (p<.001). The results indicated that, controlling for psychological distress, higher eMental health literacy was significantly related to fewer reported intrinsic (b=-.386, p<.001) and extrinsic barriers (b=-.315, p<.001) to mental health services. Higher distress was also significantly related to more intrinsic (b=.537, p<.001) and extrinsic barriers (b=.645, p<.001) to mental health services. These findings suggest that, as we move towards a more digital world, eMental health literacy could play a significant role in the way older adults navigate through the mental healthcare system.

Psychology of Aging Podcast: Public Education Tool for Sharing Evidence-Based Mental Health and Aging Information

Psychology of Aging Podcast, created and hosted by Dr. Regina Koepp, Clinical Geropsychologist, is the first podcast of its kind devoted solely to mental health and aging. The goal of the Psychology of Aging podcast is to facilitate access to information and education about mental health and brain health among older adults with the hope of de-stigmatizing mental health care for older adults, reducing ageism, highlighting diversity, and promoting access to mental health and dementia care. The format includes a combination of expert interviews and “solo-casts”. Topics range from depression and suicide prevention to Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias to the unique needs of LGTBQ older adults and caregivers to health disparities experienced by African American and Latin-X communities related to dementia and the COVID-19 pandemic. During this session, Dr. Koepp will discuss the role podcasts play in public education and share tips for starting an evidence-based podcast.

Developing Multimodal IoMT Monitoring System of Geriatric Depression: A Feasibility Study

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is a promising tool to monitor depression and relevant symptoms. However, the multimodal IoMT monitoring system has been rarely developed considering the characteristics of older adults, particularly living in the community. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to develop multimodal IoMT monitoring systems tailored for older adults and evaluate the feasibility for research and practice. We developed a multimodal IoMT monitoring system that included a smartphone for facial and verbal expressions, smartwatch for activity and heart rates, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) application. A convenience sample of 21 older Korean adults aged over 65 years was recruited from a community center, and 19 participants completed it. The data were collected in four weeks using self-report questionnaires, IoMT devices, and semi-structured interviews between July and December 2020 and were analyzed in mixed methods. Based on the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form scores, eight participants were classified in the depressive group (38.1%) and 13 in the non-depressive group (61.9%). A total of 1,505 (70.72%) EMA data were collected, and 1,277 (60.00%) were analyzed. Furthermore, 1,421 (66.78%) facial expression data were collected and labeled, including anger, happiness, neutral, sadness, surprise, and exception. Voice dialogues were transformed into 5,264 scripts. The depressive group showed lower user acceptance relative to the non-depressive group. However, both groups experienced positive emotions, had regular life patterns, and increased their self-interest. Thus, our multimodal IoMT monitoring system is a feasible and useful measure for acquiring mental health information in older adults’ depression.

Movement behaviors and mental health of caregivers of preschoolers in China during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aimed to examine the associations between physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), sleep, and the mental health of caregivers of preschool children following the COVID-19 outbreak. From 5 October to 16 December 2020, responses from 2476 respondents in China were collated through an online survey or a written questionnaire. Movement behaviors (PA, SB, screen time, and sleep), mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress), and demographic information were self-reported by the respondents. Linear mixed models were used for data analysis. Valid responses were received from 2002 caregivers (35.5 ± 4.9 years old, 76.3% females) of children between 3 and 6 years old in China (Hong Kong 3.2%, Shanghai 20.6%, Guangzhou 34.1%, Guiyang 26.7%, Xuzhou 11.3%, Xi'an 4.1%). A higher level of PA was associated with a lower score of depression, while lower SB and longer sleep duration were associated with lower scores of depression, anxiety, and stress. Meeting the Canadian 24-h movement guidelines was associated with less symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Higher PA was associated with lower levels of depression, while longer sleep and lower SB were associated with better scores of depression, anxiety, and stress. Meeting the Canadian 24-h movement guidelines has been associated with better mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions to improve mental health among caregivers should involve enhancing their overall movement behaviors.

Improving the Quality of Life for Bipolar Survivors during the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Bipolar Community of Yogyakarta

The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted more than a year. This of course has an impact on all aspects of people's lives, both economically, socially and educationally. This impact is certainly also felt by people with mental disorders, one of which is Bipolar sufferers. Just like individuals in general, they also experience a difficult adjustment period in dealing with changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, psychologically, their mental condition is clearly different from other individuals. Mentally, bipolar survivors are more susceptible to stress and it is feared that they will experience relapses more often during the COVID-19 pandemic, even though they must continue to do activities, work and carry out their respective obligations. Difficulty accessing health facilities and mental health information during this pandemic has also become a problem for bipolar survivors. This community service provides education related to pharmacology, psychological conditions and effective communication with the aim of bipolar survivors having the information provision in carrying out their daily activities stably. Activities are carried out online through WAG media and zoom meetings. Bipolar survivors respond positively and benefit greatly. As many as 64.86% of survivors admitted that they understood the education delivered very well, and as many as 5.4% admitted that they did not understand because education used online media so that it was less focused. Overall, bipolar survivors can realize the importance of taking medication, stabilize emotions and moods and learn to communicate effectively in daily life.

Acute-Stage Mental Health Symptoms by Natural Disaster Type: Consultations of Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPATs) in Japan.

This study analyzed the support activities that the Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Team (DPAT) in Japan provided following four previous disasters (a volcanic eruption, a mudslide, a flood, and an earthquake) to identify links between the disaster type and the characteristics of acute stage mental disorders observed. Using Disaster Mental Health Information Support System database records of consultations with patients supported by the DPAT during the survey period from 2013 (when DPAT was launched) to 2016, we performed cross-tabulations and investigated significant differences using chi-squared tests. For expected values less than 5, Fisher’s exact test was performed. Frequently occurring acute-stage symptoms after a disaster include anxiety, sleep problems, mood and affect, and physical symptoms. The affected population characteristics, victim attributes, severity of damage sustained, and evacuation status were the chief factors that influenced acute-stage mental health symptoms. The psychiatric symptoms detected in our study together with the results of diagnoses are important for determining the types of early interventions needed during the acute stage of a disaster. By sharing baseline mental health information, together with disaster-related characteristics highlighted in this study, mental health providers are better able to predict future possible mental disorders and symptoms.

Implementation Outcome Scales for Digital Mental Health (iOSDMH): Scale Development and Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundDigital mental health interventions are being used more than ever for the prevention and treatment of psychological problems. Optimizing the implementation aspects of digital mental health is essential to deliver the program to populations in need, but there is a lack of validated implementation outcome measures for digital mental health interventions.ObjectiveThe primary aim of this study is to develop implementation outcome scales of digital mental health for different levels of stakeholders involved in the implementation process: users, providers, and managers or policy makers. The secondary aim is to validate the developed scale for users.MethodsWe developed English and Japanese versions of the implementation outcome scales for digital mental health (iOSDMH) based on the literature review and panel discussions with experts in implementation research and web-based psychotherapy. The study developed acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, satisfaction, and harm as the outcome measures for users, providers, and managers or policy makers. We conducted evidence-based interventions via the internet using UTSMeD, a website for mental health information (N=200). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to assess the structural validity of the iOSDMH for users. Satisfaction, which consisted of a single item, was not included in the EFA.ResultsThe iOSDMH was developed for users, providers, and managers or policy makers. The iOSDMH contains 19 items for users, 11 items for providers, and 14 items for managers or policy makers. Cronbach α coefficients indicated intermediate internal consistency for acceptability (α=.665) but high consistency for appropriateness (α=.776), feasibility (α=.832), and harm (α=.777) of the iOSDMH for users. EFA revealed 3-factor structures, indicating acceptability and appropriateness as close concepts. Despite the similarity between these 2 concepts, we inferred that acceptability and appropriateness should be used as different factors, following previous studies.ConclusionsWe developed iOSDMH for users, providers, and managers. Psychometric assessment of the scales for users demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. Evaluating the components of digital mental health implementation is a major step forward in implementation science.

Personal information inference from voice recordings: User awareness and privacy concerns

Abstract Through voice characteristics and manner of expression, even seemingly benign voice recordings can reveal sensitive attributes about a recorded speaker (e. g., geographical origin, health status, personality). We conducted a nationally representative survey in the UK (n = 683, 18–69 years) to investigate people’s awareness about the inferential power of voice and speech analysis. Our results show that – while awareness levels vary between different categories of inferred information – there is generally low awareness across all participant demographics, even among participants with professional experience in computer science, data mining, and IT security. For instance, only 18.7% of participants are at least somewhat aware that physical and mental health information can be inferred from voice recordings. Many participants have rarely (28.4%) or never (42.5%) even thought about the possibility of personal information being inferred from speech data. After a short educational video on the topic, participants express only moderate privacy concern. However, based on an analysis of open text responses, unconcerned reactions seem to be largely explained by knowledge gaps about possible data misuses. Watching the educational video lowered participants’ intention to use voice-enabled devices. In discussing the regulatory implications of our findings, we challenge the notion of “informed consent” to data processing. We also argue that inferences about individuals need to be legally recognized as personal data and protected accordingly.

The impact of mental health information overload on community education programs to enhance mental health-care seeking

PurposeEducation programs seek to increase the public’s mental health literacy so they are better able to, among other things, help others engage in care when in need. This task may be diminished when such programs overwhelm participants with too much information. In addition, participants might arrive to the program with information overload related to the covered health topic. Information overload about health topics has been shown to influence attitudes and behavioral intentions. The overall purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between mental health information overload, topic interest, and care seeking recommendations.Design/methodology/approachThe current study tested a path suggesting high mental health information overload diminishes interest in learning about mental health, which in turn reduces recommendations to others to seek appropriate help when in need. Participants completed online measures of mental health information overload, topic interest and recommendations for care seeking. The data set analyzed represents valid responses from 221 participants. Structural equation modeling was completed to confirm the path model hypothesized for this study.FindingsStructural equation modeling showed satisfactory fit and significant betas for the hypothesized path.Originality/valueThis study adds to the emerging literature on the impact of health information overload and is the first to the best of the authors’ knowledge to measure mental health information overload. Program developers should consider information overload in the ongoing development of public mental health education programs.