Mental Health-related Knowledge Research Articles

Pengenalan Deteksi Dini Kesehatan Mental Santri berbasis Sistem Informasi di Pondok Pesantren

Roughly 5% of all teenagers in Indonesia are estimated to experience mental health disorders, yet only a small portion of them seek counseling or treatment. The rapid growth of Islamic boarding schools (Pondok Pesantren) in Indonesia, primarily catering to children and adolescents, has contributed to a vulnerable population regarding mental health issues. The dense schedule of students in pursuing both secular and religious knowledge, in addition to memorizing the Quran, coupled with the relatively low awareness and knowledge among the students, and the absence of early detection regarding mental health at the Sulaimaniyah Tahfidz Foundation in Surabaya, has become a particular concern. The introduction of early detection of mental health based on information systems called siskestren, is expected to address the existing issues at this partner institution. The community engagement project revealed an increase in mental health-related knowledge among the students. Moreover, six santri husada have been established and trained to conduct early detection of mental health using the siskestren system, enabling all santri husada to conduct mental health early detection on other students. By implementing siskestren at the Sulaimaniyah Tahfidz Foundation, it is hoped that it will raise awareness and knowledge among the students about their mental health condition and enable regular early detection of the students' mental health.

A mixed-methods project on the impact of the mental health first aid training on French university students' knowledge, attitudes and practices.

University students are increasingly affected by mental health problems and need prompt support. The aim of this project was to assess the impact of the mental health first aid (MHFA) training on students' knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) concerning mental health in the short, mid and long-term. Three studies were conducted in Bordeaux, France, from May 2021 to March 2022. The first study collected data from 55 students 1 to 6 months after they had followed the training to examine its efficacy in the mid-long term. The second study collected data immediately before and after the training to evaluate the KAP of 52 students in the short-term (1 to 10 days). The third study consisted of 14 semi-structured interviews with students trained since 2020 to identify the training's long-term impact (3 to 18 months). Descriptive statistics were used for studies one and two, and framework analyses for study three. Most participants reported that their KAP about mental health had improved after the training. In the first study, 94.2% of students reported being ready to intervene during a psychotic crisis in their peers. In the second study, 75.0% of students reported improved mental health-related knowledge and decreased stigma. All students in the third study reported that they had assisted at least one person after the training. These were the first data on the impact of the French MHFA on KAP. While not exhaustive, findings suggest that deploying the training would be beneficial to French students.

Mental Health and Care Utilization Among Ethiopian-Israeli Immigrants During the Period of COVID-19.

As well as affecting physical health, COVID-19 can impact mental health. Despite this, Israelis may not be getting needed mental health care because of culture-related barriers such as stigma and lack of knowledge about mental health and appropriate care. This is especially likely among vulnerable populations, such as Ethiopian immigrants, yet the topic has been understudied. This study aimed to examine to what extent COVID-19-related mental health stressors and issues are found among Ethiopian-Israelis and the extent of stigma and mental health literacy among Ethiopian-Israelis during the COVID-19 period. It also examined differences between the 1.5th and 2nd generations and potential interventions to improve their mental health. Online surveys were filled out by a convenience sample of 225 Ethiopian-Israelis recruited from a variety of sources in the fall of 2020. Over 40% expressed greater mental distress since COVID-19 started. Stigma and lack of mental health-related knowledge were found among many in this population, serving as potentially important barriers to getting appropriate mental health care. For example, only 52% disagreed with the statement that people with mental illness should not be given any responsibility and only 66% felt confident they could identify having a mental health problem requiring treatment. Variations were found by types of stressors, stigma, and lack of knowledge, as well as by immigration generation, for at least some measures. COVID-19 can negatively impact mental health and appropriate mental health care utilization, especially for a racial/ethnic minority group of immigrants such as Ethiopian-Israelis. Interventions are needed, such as increased education about mental health from a variety of sources, which can help decrease stigma and improve mental health care utilization among this group, especially when appropriately tailored.

Primary health care nurses’ mental health knowledge and attitudes towards patients and mental health care in a South African metropolitan municipality

BackgroundIn South Africa, there are on-going calls to integrate mental health services into existing primary health care (PHC) programmes such as Tuberculosis (TB). Successful service integration and quality service delivery partially depend on healthcare providers’ mental health-related knowledge and attitudes. The aim of this study was to assess PHC nurses’ mental health knowledge and attitudes towards mental health patients and mental health care.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional survey involving the distribution of self-administered questionnaires among PHC nurses across 47 clinics. Data on socio-demographics, stigma-related mental health knowledge, and nurses’ attitudes towards people with mental health problems and mental health care were subjected to descriptive and multiple regression analyses.ResultsOut of 205 respondents, the majority were female (n = 178, 86.8%). The nurses’ median age was 50 (interquartile range: 39–56). Their mean mental health knowledge score was 23.0 (standard deviation [sd]: 3.07) out of 30. Nurses were less knowledgeable about the employment (n = 95, 46.3%), recovery (n = 112, 54.6%), and help-seeking behaviour (n = 119, 58.0%) of people with mental health problems. Professional nurses had a significantly higher mean mental health knowledge score than enrolled/assistant nurses (22.8 vs. 21.1, t203 = 4.775, p < 0.001). Regarding attitudes, the nurses’ mean attitude score was 40.68 (sd: 9.70) out of 96. Two in every five nurses (n = 91, 44.4%) scored above the mean attitude score, implying that they were inclined to have negative (stigmatising) attitudes towards people with mental problems and mental health care. Age (p = 0.048), job category (p < 0.001), and prior in-service mental health training (p = 0.029) made a unique contribution to predicting nurses’ attitudes.ConclusionGaps were established in PHC nurses’ stigma-related mental health knowledge. A significant proportion of nurses had a propensity for negative (stigmatising) attitudes towards mental health patients and mental health care. Efforts towards integration of mental health into TB services in this metropolitan and similar settings should address mental health knowledge deficits and factors influencing nurses’ negative attitudes. In-service training on mental health should be optimised, with attention to older nurses and enrolled/nursing assistants.

Mental health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in a cross-sectional sample of australian university students: a comparison of domestic and international students

BackgroundThere are growing concerns about the mental health of university students in Australia and internationally, with universities, governments and other stakeholders actively developing new policies and practices. Previous research suggests that many students experience poor mental health while at university, and that the risk may be heightened for international students. Mental health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours are modifiable determinants of mental health and thus suitable targets for intervention. This study assessed the mental health-related knowledge, stigmatising attitudes, helping behaviours, and self-reported experiences of mental health problems in the student population of a large multi-campus Australian university, and conducted a comparative assessment of international and domestic students.MethodsParticipants were 883 international and 2,852 domestic students (overall response rate 7.1%) who completed an anonymous voluntary online survey that was sent to all enrolled students in July 2019 (n = ~ 52,341). Various measures of mental health-related knowledge, attitudes and helping behaviours were assessed. A comparative analysis of international and domestic students was conducted, including adjustment for age and sex.ResultsOverall, there was evidence of improvements in mental health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relative to previous studies, including higher depression recognition, intentions to seek help, and reported help-seeking behaviour. Comparative analysis indicated that international students scored predominantly lower on a range of indicators (e.g., depression recognition, awareness of evidence-based forms of help); however, differences were narrower difference between the two groups compared to what has been reported previously. Finally, some indicators were more favourable among international students, such as higher help-seeking intentions, and lower prevalence of self-reported mental health problems compared to domestic students.ConclusionThough there were some important differences between domestic and international students in this study, differences were narrower than observed in previous studies. Study findings are informing the on-going implementation and refinement of this university’s student mental health strategy, and may be used to inform evolving policy and practice in the university sector.

Knowledge, attitude and behaviour of undergraduate medical students towards mentally Ill patients-Suez Canal University, Egypt

Background: Worldwide, studies show negative attitudes among medical students toward psychiatry and mental illness. The knowledge of the attitude and awareness of the undergraduate medical students toward mental health and psychiatric disorders are most important as they are going to be involved in the care of these patients either directly or indirectly during the years of their careers. Aim: To explore, the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of undergraduate medical students towards mentally ill Patients before their planned psychiatry rotation in the fourth year of undergraduate medical study, faculty of medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. Objectives: To assess mental health-related knowledge, attitudes and intended behavior of undergraduate medical students towards mentally ill patients. Subjects and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study, conducted on 120 fourth-year undergraduate medical students affiliated with the faculty of medicine-Suez Canal University. A comprehensive sample was used to include all of the students in the fourth year of undergraduate medical study, and the study group participants completed a semi-structured questionnaire including four parts to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral responses towards individuals with mental illnesses. The data of the study was collected in September-October 2019. Results: Based on the participants’ scores, the cut-off points estimated to dichotomize the responses as poor or good, for mental health-related knowledge, belief towards mental illness and intended behavior were, 17, 55 and 8.5 respectively. This study showed that the study participants had marginally poor mental health-related knowledge with a median score of 17, poor beliefs about mental illness with a median score of 49.5 and poor intended behavior towards the mentally ill with a median score of 7. Conclusion: In this study, undergraduate medical students showed marginally poor mental health-related knowledge, poor stigmatizing beliefs, and behavior towards mentally ill patients. More controlled studies are needed to eliminate the inherent response biases in survey studies and to measure the outcomes of anti-stigma educational and curricular interventions.

Charting an Alternative Course for Mental Health-Related Anti-Stigma Social and Behaviour Change Programmes.

Mental health-related anti-stigma strategies are premised on the assumption that stigma is sustained by the public’s deficiencies in abstract professional knowledge. In this paper, we critically assess this proposition and suggest new directions for research. Our analysis draws on three data sets: news reports (N = 529); focus groups (N = 20); interviews (N = 19). In each social context, we explored representations of mental health and illness in relation to students’ shared living arrangements, a key group indicated for mental health-related anti-stigma efforts. We analysed the data using term-frequency inverse-document frequency (TF-IDF) models. Possible meanings indicated by TF-IDF modelling were interpreted using deep qualitative readings of verbatim quotations, as is standard in corpus-based research approaches to health and illness. These results evidence the flawed basis of dominant mental health-related anti-stigma campaigns. In contrast to deficiency models, we found that the public made sense of mental health and illness using dynamic and static epistemologies and often referenced professionalised understandings. Furthermore, rather than holding knowledge in the abstract, we also found public understanding to be functional to the social context. In addition, rather than being agnostic about mental health-related knowledge, we found public understandings are motivated by group-based identity-related concerns. We will argue that we need to develop alternative anti-stigma strategies rooted in the public’s multiple contextualised sense-making strategies and highlight the potential of engaging with ecological approaches to stigma.

Moderators of pre-post changes in school-based mental health promotion: Psychological stress symptom decrease for adolescents with mental health problems, knowledge increase for all.

BackgroundSchool-based mental health promotion aims to strengthen mental health and reduce stress. Results on the effectiveness of such programs are heterogeneous. This study realized a school-based mental health promotion program (StresSOS) for all students and aimed to identify moderators (mental health status, gender, grade level) of pre- to post-changes in stress symptoms and knowledge.MethodsParticipants were N = 510 adolescents (from 29 classes; 46.7% female) aged 12–18 years (M = 13.88, SD = 1.00; grade levels 7–10). They were without mental health problems (65.9%), at risk for mental health problems (21.6%), or with mental health problems (12.5%) and participated in a 90 min per week face-to-face training with 8 sessions in class at school. Demographic variables, mental health status, stress symptoms, and knowledge about stress and mental health were collected at baseline. Program acceptance, stress symptoms, and knowledge were collected post-intervention. Multilevel mixed effects models were conducted with the fixed effects time (within factor), mental health status, gender, and grade level (between factors). Random effects for students within classes were included.ResultsIn the pre-post comparison, mental health status moderated the changes on psychological stress symptoms (p < 0.05). In adolescents with mental health problems the largest reduction in stress symptoms was observed between pre- and post-assessment. Gender and grade level were less relevant. For all adolescents knowledge gains were revealed (p < 0.001). Program acceptance was moderated by mental health status and grade level (p < 0.01). Mentally healthy adolescents and within the group of adolescents at-risk or with mental health problems, especially younger students (7th/8th grade), rated program acceptance higher.ConclusionPsychological stress symptoms decreased among adolescents with mental health problems and not among adolescents at risk for or without mental health problems. Mental health-related knowledge increased for all adolescents. The results add to knowledge on school-based mental health intervention research and practice. Its implications for different prevention strategies (universal, selective or a combination of both) are discussed.

Impact of celebrity disclosure on mental health-related stigma.

Mental health stigma and discrimination are global problems, and their reduction is recognised as an important public health priority. Involving celebrities in stigma-reduction is increasingly common. This Editorial considers the impact of celebrity disclosure on mental health-related stigma; that is, whether and how a famous person openly speaking about their experience of mental health conditions can reduce stigma. Potential explanations for how celebrity mental health disclosures can influence mental health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours are outlined, followed by an overview of evidence on how celebrity disclosure operates to reduce stigma. Considering the available evidence, we provide a number of conclusions and recommendations for how celebrities can effectively be involved in anti-stigma efforts, and what considerations this requires. It is fair to say that celebrity disclosures can support stigma reduction efforts through increasing the public’s awareness of mental health, modelling behaviour and generating openness on speaking about mental health problems, and on seeking help when needed. However, whether celebrity disclosure achieves changes in mental health stigma-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours depends on the extent to which there is a match between the attributes of the famous person, the content shared in their disclosure narrative, and the intended audience of the message. Further research is needed on all these questions to better understand how to successfully utilise the potentially huge power of celebrity disclosure in large scale anti-stigma efforts.

Association of mental health help-seeking with mental health-related knowledge and stigma in Japan Rugby Top League players.

BackgroundGlobally increasing clinical and research interests are driving a movement to promote understanding and practice of mental health in elite athletes. However, few studies have yet addressed this issue. This study aims to describe the association of the intention to seek help with mental health knowledge and stigma and the severity of depressive symptoms in Japan Rugby Top League players.MethodsAs a target population, we studied 233 Japan Rugby Top League male players (25–29 years = 123 [52.8%]), who were born in Japan, using a cross-sectional design. Surveys were conducted using anonymous, web-based self-administered questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was performed to evaluate the hypothesis of an interrelationship between mental health knowledge, stigma, and severity of depressive symptoms as factors influencing the intention to seek help.ResultsPlayers with more severe depressive symptoms were more reluctant to seek help from others (β = - 0.20, p = 0.03). Players with greater knowledge about mental health tended to have less stigma toward others with mental health problems (β = 0.13, p = 0.049), but tended not to seek help with their own mental health problems.ConclusionsRugby players in need of mental health support, even with greater knowledge, tend not to seek help from others, while having less stigma toward people with mental health problems. Rugby players might require approaches other than a knowledge-based educational approach to encourage them to seek help.

Evaluation of anti-stigma social marketing campaigns in Ghana and Kenya: Time to Change Global

BackgroundLaunched in 2018, Time to Change Global is a new anti-stigma programme to tackle stigma and discrimination towards people with mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries. Our aim was to evaluate pre-post changes in stigma within the target populations for the social marketing campaigns ran in Ghana and Kenya carried out as components of the wider Time to Change Global programme.MethodsUsing data collected before and after each campaign in Accra and Nairobi, we investigated pre-post differences in stigma-related outcome measures: mental health-related knowledge (MAKS), mental health-related attitudes (CAMI), and desire for social distance (RIBS), with regression analyses. Other covariates were included in the models to control for differences in participant demographics.ResultsA significant positive change in a stigma related outcome was found at each site. Reported in standard deviation units, desire for social distance from people with mental health problems in Accra was lower after the launch of the campaign, measured as an increase in intended contact (β = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.14 to 0.43, p < 0.001). In Nairobi, the stigma related knowledge score was higher in the post campaign sample (β = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.07 to 0.34, p = 0.003).ConclusionThe increase in intended contact in the absence of other changes seen in Ghana, is consistent with the early results for Time to Change England. The estimate for the magnitude of this change is the same as Time to Change England for the general population between 2009 and 19, a very promising result for a short term public mental health campaign. The different results observed between sites may be due to campaign as well as population differences.

Cross-sectional study of mental health related knowledge and attitudes among care assistant workers in Guangzhou, China

BackgroundCare assistant workers (CAWs) are a part of a new pattern of mental health care providers in China and play a significant role in bridging the human resource shortage. CAWs in China mainly include community cadres, community mental health staff, and community policemen. The mental health related knowledge and attitudes of CAWs could influence their mental health care delivery. This study aimed to assess mental health related knowledge and attitudes of CAWs in Guangzhou, China.MethodsIn November 2017, a study was conducted among 381 CAWs from four districts of Guangzhou, China. Participants were assessed using the Perceived Devaluation and Discrimination Scale (PDD), the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS), and the Mental illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes (MICA) Scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Bonferroni corrections and multivariable linear regression.ResultsThe mean scores (standard deviation) of PDD, MAKS and MICA were 36.45 (6.54), 22.72 (2.56), and 51.67 (7.88), respectively. Univariate analyses showed that the older CAWs, community policemen and those who were less willing to deliver care to people with mental illness had significant higher MICA scores when compared with other staff (P < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression showed that after controlling for key variables, care willingness and PDD total score were positively associated with the MICA total score (all P < 0.05), while attitudes on additional items were significant negatively with the MICA total score (all P < 0.01).ConclusionThese findings suggest negative attitudes towards people with mental disorders among CAWs are common, especially among older staff. Community policemen suggest that they applied stereotypes of “violent mentally ill” people to all people they deal with who have mental disorders. The results also indicate human rights are being paid some attention to now, but need to be further continually improved in the future. Strategies for improving such negative attitudes and reducing the perceived stigma and discrimination should be carried out towards particular staff groups in an anti-stigma programme in Guangzhou, China.

Attitudinal and demographic factors associated with seeking help and receiving antidepressant medication for symptoms of common mental disorder

BackgroundDespite the increased attention given to improvement of mental health-related knowledge and attitudes, rates of help-seeking for mental illness remain low even in countries with well-developed mental health services. This study examines the relationships between attitudes to mental illness, symptoms of common mental disorder and seeking-help and receiving medication for a mental health problem.MethodsWe used data from the nationally representative Health Survey for England 2014 to design three logistic regression models to test for the effects of attitudes to mental illness (measured by a shortened version of the Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill, CAMI scale) on: recent contact with a doctor for a mental health problem; use of any type of mental health service in the last 12 months; and having antidepressants currently prescribed, while controlling for symptoms of common mental disorder (measured by the General Health Questionnaire, GHQ). We also tested for an interaction between attitudes to mental illness and symptoms of common mental disorder on the outcomes.ResultsA significant but very small effect of CAMI score was found on ‘antidepressants currently prescribed’ model (OR = 1.01(1.00, 1.02) but not on the two indicators of help-seeking. We also found a significant but very small interaction between CAMI and GHQ scores on recent contact with a doctor (OR = 0.99, 95% CI (0.990, 0.998); adjusted Wald test P = 0.01)). Knowing someone with a mental illness had a significant positive effect on help-seeking indicated by: (a) recent contact with a doctor (2.65 (1.01, 6.98)) and (b) currently prescribed antidepressant (2.67 (1.9, 3.75)) after controlling for attitudes to mental illness.ConclusionsOur results suggest that knowing someone with a mental health problem seems to have a further positive effect on help-seeking, beyond improving attitudes to mental illness. Furthermore, multiple different types and aspects of stigma may contribute to help-seeking behaviours, consequently multi-faceted approaches are likely to be most efficient.

The mediating role of knowledge on the contact and stigma of mental illness in Hong Kong.

Although knowledge is a crucial component in contact theory delineating how prejudice changes toward out-groups with stigmatized conditions, little is known about the mediating role of knowledge on contact, stigmatizing attitudes, and behaviors toward mental illness. This study aimed to examine the mechanism underlie contact and stigma change by knowledge. A total of 366 participants including family members (FM), mental health providers (MHP), and community residents (CR) recruited across communities in Hong Kong and completed measures of contact level, contact quantity, contact quality, mental health related knowledge, prejudice, and discriminatory behaviors. Structural equation modeling was adopted to test the association among the key variables. Higher level of contact was significantly correlated with better knowledge, less prejudice, and less discriminatory behaviors. Knowledge was directly and negatively correlated with prejudicial attitudes but was not significantly related to discriminatory behaviors. Furthermore, lower levels of prejudice were associated with less discriminatory behaviors. Enhancement of contact may increase understanding toward people with mental illness (PMI) and diminish stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors. Although prejudicial attitudes may be reduced by broadening mental health knowledge, increasing knowledge only might not ameliorate discriminatory behaviors. Future research should test mediators on contact and stigma by using longitudinal data.

Effectiveness of the Mental Health First Aid programme for general nursing students in Hong Kong: A randomised controlled trial

ABSTRACT Background Insufficient mental health related knowledge among healthcare professionals and students may lead to higher levels of stigma towards and increased social distance from mentally unwell patients. Moreover, university students enrolled in healthcare programmes are particularly susceptible to stress, depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Programme for undergraduate general nursing students in improving their mental health literacy, decreasing their social distance from persons with mental health issues, increasing their mental health first-aid intention, and enhancing their confidence in assisting others. The programme was also extended the effectiveness to help students to maintain their own mental wellbeing. Methods A randomised controlled trial study with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up research design was conducted. Three hundred and fifty-eight students were recruited. The experimental group comprised 182 students, of whom 168 completed MHFA training and a post-test questionnaire in mid-2017, and 167 students completed a follow-up questionnaire early in 2018. Meanwhile, 175 and 165 of the 176 students in the control group completed the post-test and follow-up questionnaires, respectively. Results The effectiveness of the MHFA programme was supported by the results of repeated measures analysis of variance with Greenhouse-Geisser correction. Significant interaction effects were found in mental health knowledge in recognition of depression (ηp2 = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.24, 0.42), recognition of schizophrenia (ηp2 = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.47), depression social distance (ηp2 = 0.20; 95% CI: −0.41. −0.22), schizophrenia social distance (ηp2 = 0.31; 95% CI: −0.58, −0.37), confidence in helping (ηp2 = 0.04; 95% CI: 0.11. 0.14), mental first-aid actions (ηp2 = 0.08; 95% CI: 1.75, 2.90), and mental wellbeing (ηp2 = 0.15; 95% CI: −0.53, −0.19). Discussion Mental illnesses present substantial challenges to healthcare professionals worldwide. MHFA training should be promoted locally and integrated within compulsory training and extracurricular activities in curricula developed for healthcare and general university students. Conclusion This study confirms the benefits of MHFA for general nursing students in developing their professional understanding of and willingness to assist people with mental health problems, and in developing, maintaining, and improving their understanding of their own mental health.

Mental health crisis training for non-mental health professionals

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate a training in mental health crisis support for non-mental health professionals who work in urgent care settings. The training consists of an e-learning module, a one-day face-to-face (F2F) interactive study day and simulation training.Design/methodology/approachThis multi-methods study collected data pre and post training and at three to six months post training. Validated questionnaires, rating scales and open-ended questions were used to measure self-efficacy in health-care skills, attitudes towards mental illness and knowledge and confidence in working in mental health. A subsample of participants was interviewed post training about how they had used the knowledge and skills learned.FindingsA total of 706 staff completed the e-learning, 88 attended the F2F training and 203 attended simulation training. Overall satisfaction with the training was high, with F2F and simulation training preferred. Statistically significant improvements in self-efficacy for health-care skills, positive attitudes towards mental illness, and mental health-related knowledge and confidence were found post training. Qualitative analyses of interview and survey data indicated that participants had translated learning to practice through improved attitudes and behavioural changes when working with patients experiencing a mental health crisis.Originality/valueThis training improved mental health-related knowledge, confidence and self-efficacy and reduced mental health-related stigma in professionals who provide urgent care to people in mental health crisis. Participants reported changes to their practice following training; this is important as care has been inadequate for this group. Workforce planners and leaders should consider implementing this or similar training widely.

Stigmatizing Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders Among Non-Mental Health Professionals in Six General Hospitals in Hunan Province.

Background: There have been few studies on the stigma associated with mental disorders among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in China. This study seeks to explore mental health-related stigma and the desire for social distance among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in Hunan Province in China.Methods: The study was carried out with 1123 non-mental health professionals in six general hospitals in Hunan Province by using a questionnaire with a case vignette describing either schizophrenia, depression, or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Questions were asked about the attitudes of participants and other people towards individuals with mental disorders and the willingness to come into contact with them.Results: The people described in the vignette were considered dangerous by 84.4% of participants for schizophrenia, 72.0% of participants for depression, and 63.1% of participants for GAD. Besides being dangerous, people with schizophrenia were perceived as unpredictable and as the least suitable for voting for as a politician or employing. Around 50% of participants believed the problems described in the vignette were due to personal weakness. Over 70% of the non-mental health professionals were not willing to have the people described in the vignette marry into their family. The participants had gained their mental health-related knowledge mainly through the media, mostly from newspapers.Conclusions: The current study found a significant stigma towards individuals with mental disorders and a desire for social distance from such people among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in Hunan Province. Anti-stigma interventions should focus on addressing non-mental health professionals' beliefs on dangerousness and unpredictability.

Population-based surveys and interventions for mental health literacy in China during 1997\u20132018: a scoping review

BackgroundThis scoping review maps population-based surveys and mental health literacy (MHL) interventions undertaken in China during 1997–2018 in order to identify research gaps.MethodFollowing Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for a scoping review, five English databases (Medline, PsycINFO, Cochrane library, Web of Science and CINAHL) and two Chinese ones (CNKI and WanFang) were systematically searched, identifying both reports of surveys and evaluation of interventions from Jan 1997 to Oct 2018.ResultsMHL research has developed rapidly in China in terms of numbers of studies and geographic coverage over the past two decades. There were 350 peer-reviewed publications included in this review, covering diverse settings and participants. Of these publications, 313 (89.4%) were published in Chinese-language journals and 37 in English-language journals; 303 (86.6%) reported on survey findings and 47 reported on the evaluation of MHL interventions. MHL research in China has mainly focused on the assessment of mental health-related knowledge and beliefs. Much less attention has been given to developing and evaluating relevant interventions. MHL related to general mental health and suicide were most commonly studied, with less focus on specific disorders, although some studies covered depression, psychosis and anxiety disorders. The majority of MHL tools utilized in the studies reported in this review were developed in China (n = 97, 80.2% ) and almost half of these studies (57.8%) did not provide enough details concerning psychometrics.ConclusionsMore interventions targeting the general public and aiming to improve MHL and promote behaviour change, are needed in China. These should be evaluated with high-quality study designs, such as randomised controlled trials. Proper validation of tools used for measuring MHL should also be addressed in future studies.

Educating business students to manage for mental health

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe content topics and teaching methods for a new undergraduate course in business administration on managing for workplace mental health. It then discusses a preliminary evaluation of the course.Design/methodology/approachResearch-supported content and teaching methods were developed and implemented.n=18 undergraduates completed pre- and post-course quantitative measures related to course goals, and a qualitative post-course survey about course content and delivery.FindingsAnalysis of pre- and post-course quantitative measures demonstrated significant increases in mental health-related knowledge; other-directed, mental health supportive behaviours; mental health promotion self-efficacy; mental health promotion intentions; and self-compassion; as well as significant decreases in stigmatising attitudes. Effect sizes were moderate to large, indicating usefulness. Qualitative, post-course data indicated that positive aspects of course content were those that enhanced knowledge of mental health conditions; skills for managing workplace mental health concerns; and attitudes towards those suffering from mental illness. Qualitative post-course data indicated that positive aspects of course delivery were specific teaching strategies and teaching qualities.Research limitations/implicationsResults support the continued development and use of a course for business students on managing workplace mental health. Additional, larger scale evaluation would be helpful.Practical implicationsDetailed information is provided about the course structure, content, resources and teaching methods, which could be used in other settings.Social implicationsThe workplace is an important site for early identification and intervention of mental health concerns, regardless of their origin or cause. This research supports the usefulness of training prospective business managers in this regard.Originality/valueCoverage of mental health-related topics with business students has been scant to absent. This project developed, implemented and evaluated a new course.

Perceptions of positive treatment and discrimination towards people with mental health problems: Findings from the 2017 Attitudes to Mental Illness survey

Anti-stigma programme evaluations primarily measure knowledge and attitudes, and rarely assess behaviour. This study describes perceived and self-reported avoidance, discrimination and positive treatment using data from the 2017 Attitudes to Mental Illness survey. A nationally representative quota sample of 1720 English participants were interviewed about mental health-related knowledge and attitudes, reported and intended contact with people with mental health problems, awareness of the Time to Change anti-stigma programme and knowledge of anyone with a mental health problem. Participants who knew someone were asked how they thought the person was treated in different life areas, and whether they had avoided the person, treated them unfairly or treated them more positively. 30.1% of respondents knew someone with a mental health problem. Most believed the person had been treated fairly across various life domains. 5.1% of participants reported avoiding the person, 2.1% reported unfair treatment, and 58.1% reported positive treatment. Less stigmatising attitudes were associated with reduced avoidance and discrimination. Greater knowledge and reported contact were associated with positive treatment. Anti-stigma campaigns can reduce discrimination or increase positive treatment by targeting knowledge, attitudes and awareness of people with mental health problems. Evaluations should measure discrimination and positive treatment to fully assess behavioural change.