Mental Health Literacy in Young Adults: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire

Abstract

Mental health literacy (MHL) is considered a prerequisite for early recognition and intervention in mental disorders, and for this reason, it has become a focus of research over the past few decades. Assessing this construct is relevant for identifying knowledge gaps and erroneous beliefs concerning mental health issues, to inform the development of interventions aimed at promoting mental health literacy as well as the evaluation of these interventions. Recently, we developed a new self-reporting measure (MHLq) for assessing mental health literacy in young people (12–14 years-old), meeting the need to assess MHL from a comprehensive perspective of the construct instead of focusing on a restricted number of mental disorders or specific dimensions (e.g., knowledge concerning specific disorders; stigma). The present study aimed to adapt the MHLq for the young adult population and to examine its psychometric properties, according to the following steps: (1) item adaptation, using a think aloud procedure (n = 5); (2) data collection (n = 356, aged between 18 and 25 years old; and (3) psychometric analyses (exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency analysis). The final version of the questionnaire included 29 items (total scale α = 0.84), organized by four dimensions: (1) knowledge of mental health problems (α = 0.74); (2) erroneous beliefs/stereotypes (α = 0.72); (3) help-seeking and first aid skills (α = 0.71); and (4) self-help strategies (α = 0.60). The results suggest that the MHLq-adult form is a practical, valid, and reliable screening tool for identifying gaps in knowledge, beliefs, and behavioral intentions related to mental health and mental disorders, planning promotion programs, and evaluating intervention effectiveness.

Mental Health Literacy in Healthcare Students: An Expansion of the Mental Health Literacy Scale

“…Various scale-based measures have been developed for MHL, including the Mental Health Literacy Scale [36], the Mental Health Literacy Measure [37], and the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire for young people [38] and young adults [39]. However, these tools are designed for the general public, and as yet there is no appropriate measure to assess the MHL levels of health professionals and students.…”

“…However, these tools are designed for the general public, and as yet there is no appropriate measure to assess the MHL levels of health professionals and students. Most measurement tools currently used to evaluate MHL for members of the public tend to focus more on aspects of mental ill-health (such as the recognition of mental illness) rather than on mental health promotion (such as the maintenance of mental health) [36,37,39]. In addition, apart from the MHL Scale, the MHL measures do not include items that assess the stigma of mental illness.…”

“…It is noteworthy that the MHL Questionnaire includes an item on the erroneous perception of mental illness (e.g. ; "Mental disorders don't affect people's behavior") [38,39], but none on the common stigmatizing belief (e.g. ; that people with mental illness are dangerous, eliciting an emotional reaction to them), as highlighted by research on mental illness stigma [40].…”

“…; that people with mental illness are dangerous, eliciting an emotional reaction to them), as highlighted by research on mental illness stigma [40]. Finally, the current MHL measures include items regarding either a help-seeking attitude [36,38,39] or help-seeking efficacy [37], although both of these are the critical determinants of help-seeking behaviors.…”

A quasi-experimental and Guided Social Media Intervention to Improve Mental Health Literacy Level of Urban School Adolescents in Ethiopia: A Detailed Study Protocol

“…Scale based mental health literacy questionnaire(MHLQ) and tested and validated for adolescent populations [22,[40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] Health seeking intention questionnaire [49] Secondary outcome measures…”