TY - JOUR PY - 2015// TI - Effects of school-based mental health literacy education for secondary school students to be delivered by school teachers: a preliminary study JO - Psychiatry and the Clinical Neurosciences A1 - Ojio, Yasutaka A1 - Yonehara, Hiromi A1 - Taneichi, Setsuko A1 - Yamasaki, Syudo A1 - Ando, Shuntaro A1 - Togo, Fumiharu A1 - Nishida, Atsushi A1 - Sasaki, Tsukasa SP - 572 EP - 579 VL - 69 IS - 9 N2 - AIM: Improving knowledge and beliefs about mental health (or mental health literacy: MHL) may promote appropriate help-seeking by adolescents who are suffering from mental health problems. We develop a concise, school-staff led MHL program and examine its effects.

METHODS: The participants comprised 118 grade-9 students (61 males and 57 females). The program consisted of two 50-min sessions, and was given by a school teacher. The effects of the program were evaluated before, immediately after and 3 months after the program, using a self-report questionnaire.

RESULTS: Knowledge of mental health/illnesses and desirable behavior for help-seeking was significantly improved immediately after (post-test, p <.001, and p <.001, respectively) and 3 months after the program (3-month follow-up, p <.001 and p <.001, respectively), compared with the test before the delivery of the program (pre-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Proportions of the correct diagnoses of vignette cases of major depression and schizophrenia were significantly (p <.001) elevated from 38.3% and 19.1% (pre-test) to 94.7% and 93.6% (post-test), and 91.5% and 86.2% (3-month follow-up). Intentions to seek help and to provide peers with help with mental health problems were also significantly (p <.001) elevated at post-test and at 3 months compared with the pre-test.

CONCLUSION: A concise, school staff-led program may have a significant effect on the improvement of MHL in secondary school students.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1323-1316 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pcn.12320 ID - ref1 ER -