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BackgroundTo support promotion, prevention and early intervention for mental illness school nurses need to be mental health literate.MethodsThree hundred and thirty-nine school nurses employed in government and private schools from three Emirates in the UAE were surveyed. A culturally adapted Mental Health Literacy questionnaire comprising three vignettes of fictional characters meeting diagnostic criteria for the target conditions along with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) was administered to ascertain school nurses’ ability to correctly identify the conditions and to elicit beliefs about helpfulness of treatment interventions and of health care providers for these conditions.ResultsLess than 50% of the respondents correctly identified the disorders presented, while accurate identification of evidence-based interventions was also limited. Correlations between level of psychological distress and level of inaccurate survey responses was also revealed, respondents who correctly identified the correct diagnosis of the vignette and the most appropriate interventions were those who had a significantly lower K10 score.ConclusionsLow levels of mental health literacy amongst respondents in combination with potential religious and cultural factors as reported in the literature, highlight the need for curriculum enhancements for future health professionals and a targeted program of culturally appropriate professional development focused on mental health promotion for those in clinical practice. The level of psychological distress noted in this cohort also signals a need to ensure that appropriate supports are available for clinical staff employed in schools.

BackgroundIn the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 35% of the population are aged 0–24 years. A significant proportion of these young people are living with chronic conditions (e.g., asthma, type 1 diabetes, cardiac conditions, and genetically-transmitted conditions such as thalassemia and cystic fibrosis). This group has increased vulnerability to developmental delays and mental health problems, and is increasingly coming to the attention of service providers in mainstream schools, primary healthcare centers, and pediatric hospitals. Despite the government directing attention to improving the mental health of the UAE population, there is concern that mental health services are not growing at the rate needed to meet the mental health needs of children and young people with chronic conditions.MethodA cross sectional survey design was used to determine the mental health literacy of nurses and other healthcare professionals working with children with chronic illnesses. Participants completed a culturally-adapted mental health literacy questionnaire comprising three vignettes of fictional characters meeting diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, psychosis, and depression with suicidal thoughts. Participants also completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10).ResultsParticipants were 317 healthcare professionals from across the UAE. The majority were nurses. Correct identification of the diagnosis for each vignette was limited, with the highest level of accuracy achieved for the psychosis vignette (n = 113, 54.3%). Accurate identification of appropriate evidence-based interventions was also limited. K10 scores indicated 40% of participants had moderate to high levels of psychological distress.ConclusionsThese findings are concerning and provide important data to inform the development of undergraduate and continuing education programs for nurses. The K10 scores suggest healthcare professionals are under considerable stress, highlighting the need to support healthcare professionals who experience multiple psychosocial stressors.

Immersive cultural simulation experiences offer opportunities to enhance the cultural empathy of nursing students. This may in turn have a positive impact on their cultural competence and consequently the quality of care they provide to culturally and linguistically diverse patients.

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