Depression and Suicide Literacy and Mental Health Seeking Behavior among Family Caregivers of Older People in Community
Keywords:
depression and suicide literacy, mental health seeking behavior, family caregivers of older people in the communityAbstract
The purpose of this descriptive research was to examine the relationship between personal factors, depression and suicide literacy and mental health seeking behavior among family caregivers of older people in community. The sample consisted of 400 family caregivers of older people in Nakhon Pathom province. The measurements used for data collection were personal information questionnaires, the depression and suicide literacy questionnaire, actual mental help and mental health seeking behavior questionnaire. The measurements were tested for content validity and reliability. The reliability of measurements was .94 and .81. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation, Spearman’s rank correlation, Point Biserial and Biserial correlation. The findings revealed that depression and suicide literacy was significantly associated with mental health seeking behavior (r = .25, p = .01), age (r = -.142, p <.01), and education (rb = .380, p <.01). While the relationship between mental health seeking behavior was found to be associated with age (rs = -. 149, p <.01) and education (rb = .251, p <.05). Consequently, nurses and health personnel should organize interventions to enhance knowledge about depression and suicide for older people’s caregivers in order to foster depression and suicide literacy which may lead to further access to mental health services in older people.
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