Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

mental health, young adults, mental health literacy, help-seeking attitudes, help-seeking behavior


Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, University of Delhi New Delhi, India
2 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology Gargi College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Mental Health Literacy (MHL) constitutes the understanding of mental disorders which can aid in their recognition,mitigation, or prevention. The aim of this research was to understand the effect of a mental health initiative on theMHL of the participants and to examine the correlation between MHL and help-seeking attitudes. A cross-sectionalcorrelational research design was employed on a sample of 80 female undergraduate students from New Delhi whowere a part of the mental health initiative. They completed a survey that included the demographic profile, theMental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MLHq), and the Mental Help Seeking Attitude Scale (MHSAS). Ourresearch findings suggested that the MHL of the sample was satisfactory (M=117.81; SD=8.31) and they had highhelp-seeking attitudes (M=55.42; SD=7.66). The correlational analysis of the variables indicates that there is asignificant and moderately strong positive association between MLHq and MHSAS (r=0.52, p<.001). MentalHealth Literacy, thus, is an important predictor of help-seeking attitudes, which foster positive consequences foroverall mental health. Thus, interventions aimed at improving Mental Health Literacy should be developed andimplemented, especially in educational settings.


Keywords

mental health, young adults, mental health literacy, help-seeking attitudes, help-seeking behavior
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Angermeyer, M. C., Matschinger, H., & Corrigan, P. W. (2004). Familiarity with mental illness and social distance from people with schizophrenia and major depression: testing a model using data from a representative population survey. Schizophrenia Research, 69(2-3), 175-182.

  • Arundev, U., Gupta, S., Sharma, K., & Chadda, R. K. (2017). Mental health literacy among university students from University of Delhi. Indian Journal of Psychiatric Nursing, 13(1), 1.

  • Chandra, A., & Minkovitz, C. S. (2006). Stigma starts early: Gender differences in teen willingness to use mental health services. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38(6), 754- e1.

  • Corrigan, P. W., Powell, K. J., & Al-Khouja, M. A. (2015). Examining the impact of public service announcements on help seeking and stigma: Results of a randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 203(11), 836-842.

  • Cornally, N., & McCarthy, G. (2011). Help-seeking behavior: A concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 17(3), 280-288.

  • Cotton, S. M., Wright, A., Harris, M. G., Jorm, A. F., & McGorry, P. D. (2006). Influence of gender on mental health literacy in young Australians. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 40(9), 790-796.

  • Dev, A., Gupta, S., Sharma, K. K., & Chadda, R. K. (2017). Awareness of mental disorders among youth in Delhi. Current Medicine Research and Practice, 7(3), 84-89.

  • Dias, P., Campos, L., Almeida, H., & Palha, F. (2018). Mental health literacy in young adults: Adaptation and psychometric properties of the mental health literacy questionnaire. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(7), 1318.

  • Gaiha, S. M., Sunil, G. A., Kumar, R., & Menon, S. (2014). Enhancing mental health literacy in India to reduce stigma: The fountainhead to improve help-seeking behavior. Journal of Public Mental Health, 13, 159-170. 10.1108/JPMH-06-2013-0043.

  • Gorczynski, P., Sims-Schouten, W., Hill, D., & Wilson, J. C. (2017). Examining mental health literacy, help seeking behaviors, and mental health outcomes in UK university students. The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, 12(2), 111-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-05-2016-0027.

  • Gururaj, G., Varghese, M., Benegal, V., Rao, G. N., Pathak, K., Singh, L. K., & Kokane, A. (2016). National Mental Health Survey of India, 2015-16: Prevalence, patterns and outcomes. Bengaluru: National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, NIMHANS Publication, 129.

  • Hammer, J. H., & Parent, M. C., & Spiker, D. A. (2018). Mental Help Seeking Attitudes Scale (MHSAS): Development, reliability, validity, and comparison with the ATSSPH-SF and IASMHS-PO. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 65, 74-85. doi: 10.1037/cou0000248

  • Jorm, A. F. (2000). Mental health literacy: Public knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 177(5), 396-401.

  • Jorm, A. F., Korten, A. E., Jacomb, P. A., Christensen, H., Rodgers, B., & Pollitt, P.(1997). “Mental health literacy”: A survey of the public's ability to recognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment. Medical Journal of Australia, 166(4), 182-186.

  • Jorm A. F. (2012). Mental health literacy: Empowering the community to take action for better mental health. The American Psychologist, 67(3), 231-243. https://doi.org /10.1037/a0025957

  • Kessler, R. C., Amminger, G. P., Aguilar‐Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Lee, S., & Ustun, T. B. (2007). Age of onset of mental disorders: A review of recent literature. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 20(4), 359.

  • Kelly, C. M., Mithen, J. M., Fischer, J. A., Kitchener, B. A., Jorm, A. F., Lowe, A., & Scanlan, C. (2011). Youth mental health first aid: A description of the program and an initial evaluation. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 5(1), 1-9.

  • Kermode, M., Bowen, K., Arole, S., Pathare, S., & Jorm, A. F. (2009). Attitudes to people with mental disorders: A mental health literacy survey in a rural area of Maharashtra, India. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 44(12), 1087- 1096.

  • Lakdawala, B., & Vankar, G. K. (2016). Mental health literacy amongst college students: a community-based study. Journal of Mental Health (IJMH), 3, 342. 10.30877/IJMH.3.3.2016.342-350.

  • Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Falcato, L., & Rössler, W. (2003). Do people recognise mental illness? European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 253(5), 248- 251.

  • Mehreen, S., Mathur, A., Jat, J., & Pathak, A. (2021). Effectiveness of an educational school-based intervention on knowledge of unintentional injury prevention and first aid among students in Ujjain, India. Indian Pediatrics, 58(6), 532-536.

  • Mitchell, C. (2019). Paho/WHO: Mental health problems are the leading cause of disability worldwide, say experts at Paho Directing Council Side Event. Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization. Retrieved May 17, 2021, from https://www3.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&v iew=article&id=15481%3Amental-health-problems-are-the-leading-causeof- disability-worldwide-say-experts-at-paho-directing-council-side-event&amp ;Itemid=72565&lang=en

  • Ogorchukwu, J. M., Sekaran, V. C., & Sreekumaran Nair, L. A. (2016). Mental health literacy among late adolescents in South India: What they know ad what attitudes drive them. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 38(3), 234.

  • Rickwood, D. J., Deane, F. P., & Wilson, C. J. (2007). When and how do young people seek professional help for mental health problems? Medical Journal of Australia, 187(S7), S35-S39.

  • Rickwood, D., Thomas, K., & Bradford, S. (2012). Help-seeking measures in mental health: a rapid review. Sax Institute, 1, 35.

  • Salaheddin, K., & Mason, B. (2016). Identifying barriers to mental health help-seeking among young adults in the UK: A cross-sectional survey. British Journal of General Practice, 66(651), e686-e692.

  • Sanghvi, P. B., & Mehrotra, S. (2021). Help-seeking for mental health concerns: Review of Indian research and emergent insights. Journal of Health Research, 36(3), 428- 441. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHR-02-2020-0040

  • Saraf, G., Chandra, P. S., Desai, G., & Rao, G. N. (2018). What adolescent girls know about mental health: Findings from a mental health literacy survey from an urban slum setting in India. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 40(5), 433-439. https://doi.org/10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_108_18

  • Skre, I., Friborg, O., Breivik, C., Johnsen, L. I., Arnesen, Y., & Wang, C. E. A. (2013). A school intervention for mental health literacy in adolescents: Effects of a nonrandomized cluster controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 1-15.

  • Smith, C. L., & Shochet, I. M . (2011). The impact of mental health literacy on helpseeking intentions: Results of a pilot study with first year psychology students. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 13(2), 14-20. https://doi.org/10 .1080/14623730.2011.9715652

  • Verma, D., Dash, P., Sain, M., Kumar, S. P., Prakash, C., Kumar, R., & Kesan, H. P. (2017). Youth in India. Social Statistics Division, Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, Government of India.

  • World Health Organization (2004). Promoting mental health: Concepts, emerging evidence, practice: Summary report. World Health Organization.

  • Wright, A., Jorm, A. F., Harris, M. G., & McGorry, P. D. (2007). What's in a name? accurate recognition and labelling of mental disorders by young people associated with better help-seeking and treatment preferences? Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 42(3), 244-250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006- 0156-x


Abstract Views: 448

PDF Views: 0




  • mental health, young adults, mental health literacy, help-seeking attitudes, help-seeking behavior

Abstract Views: 448  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Afreen Zehra
Department of Psychology, University of Delhi New Delhi, India
Shubhda Sharma
Department of Psychology, University of Delhi New Delhi, India
Dr. Neera Pant
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology Gargi College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Smita Chatterjee
Department of Psychology, University of Delhi New Delhi, India

Abstract


Mental Health Literacy (MHL) constitutes the understanding of mental disorders which can aid in their recognition,mitigation, or prevention. The aim of this research was to understand the effect of a mental health initiative on theMHL of the participants and to examine the correlation between MHL and help-seeking attitudes. A cross-sectionalcorrelational research design was employed on a sample of 80 female undergraduate students from New Delhi whowere a part of the mental health initiative. They completed a survey that included the demographic profile, theMental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MLHq), and the Mental Help Seeking Attitude Scale (MHSAS). Ourresearch findings suggested that the MHL of the sample was satisfactory (M=117.81; SD=8.31) and they had highhelp-seeking attitudes (M=55.42; SD=7.66). The correlational analysis of the variables indicates that there is asignificant and moderately strong positive association between MLHq and MHSAS (r=0.52, p<.001). MentalHealth Literacy, thus, is an important predictor of help-seeking attitudes, which foster positive consequences foroverall mental health. Thus, interventions aimed at improving Mental Health Literacy should be developed andimplemented, especially in educational settings.


Keywords


mental health, young adults, mental health literacy, help-seeking attitudes, help-seeking behavior

References