| BackgroundThe prevalence of mental disorders among Chinese residents has been increasing gradually,whereas the rate of seeking help was fairly low.One of the most important barriers for this gap was low mental health literacy(MHL).Improving MHL at the population level is an important way to solve the above problems.Many studies have shown that People’s higher level of MHL means early recognition of mental disorders,less stigma,more wills and behaviors to seek help,and therefore,increasing MHL is important for improving treatment rate and better mental health outcome.Populationbased MHL programs for other countries have been carried out in community to improve public’s MHL,while there is a lack of population-based MHL campaigns in China.As one of the tools for community mental health promotion,brochures have been used more in community mental health popularization,but there is a lack of verification of their effectiveness.ObjectsStudy 1:This cross-sectional population-based study was to investigate the status of MHL among adult residents in Guangdong Province and examine related factors associated with MHL.Study 2:To verify the effectiveness of mental health education brochures on improving the levels of MHL.MethodsStudy 1:This study adopted a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method in which participants were taken from all 21 cities in Guangdong Province.A total of 16715 residents aged 18 years and over were investigated.MHL was assessed using Chinese National Mental Health Literacy Scale.Participants’ mental health was screened using 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire,Generalized Anxiety Disorder module 7 and Insomnia Severity Index,and then diagnosed by qualified psychiatrist.Rao-Scott χ2,general linear model and logistic regression model based on complex sampling designs were used for data analyses.Study 2:A field study was conducted using convenience sampling.In 129 streets/township community health service center in 21 cities in Guangdong province,to distribute mental health brochures specially compiled by the Guangdong Mental Health Center for improving MHL of community-living adult residents.A total of 1855 community residents was recruited.MHL was assessed using Chinese National Mental Health Literacy Scale.Mental health status was measured by Kessler psychological distress scale.Socio-demographic characteristics and other related factors were also collected.Propensity score matching(PSM)method was used to balance the baseline data between the intervention and control group.To compare the baseline data before and after PSM.A total of 378 participants were chosen.T-test and χ2 test were used to examine the differences between intervention group and control group.ResultsStudy 1:A minority(12.1%)of residents had adequate MHL.Univariate analysis showed that gender,age,education level,marital status and monthly income were significantly associated with MHL(all P<0.05).Multivariate analyses revealed that men,lower education level,and separated/divorced/widowed marital status were significantly associated with lower MHL(all P<0.05).Lacking exercise was significantly associated with lower MHL(P<0.05).Individuals with co-morbid chronic diseases and insomnia had lower MHL(all P<0.05).Study 2:The MHL levels of the intervention group(34.9%)was higher than that of the control group(23.4%),with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).ConclusionStudy 1:The levels of MHL in our sample are relatively low and need to improve at the population level,especially mental health knowledge.Lower MHL levels were associated with being female,having a higher education level and marital status(never married and married/cohabitating).It is important to consider these differences,which could support developing tailored MHL programs.Low MHL levels was associated with chronic diseases and insomnia symptoms,while not with depressive disorders,or anxiety disorders.Study 2:The mental health education brochures can effectively develop the MHL levels among community residents. |
PDF Full Text Request