Depression and Mental Health Literacy in Adolescents

Abstract

The aims of this descriptive study were to explore depression and mental health literacy in adolescent in Mueang District of Udon-Thani Province and compare mental health literacy between groups of the adolescent with depression and without depression. Samples were 420 adolescents (168 males and 252 females), 15-19 years old from six schools in Mueang District of Udon-Thani Province, in academic year 2019. The stratified sampling method was applied for the sample group. Two research instruments were Center for Epidemiologic Studies- Depression Scale (CES-D) used as a depression screening tool and Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire classified into five components: knowledge of mental illness prevention,  recognition of when a mental health problem is developing, knowledge of help-seeking options and treatments available, knowledge of self-help strategies for milder problems and first aid skills for others affected by mental health problems. The reliability of the two instruments were 0.87 and 0.92 respectively. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square and independent t-test. The results revealed that; (1) 111 adolescents (26.43%) (79 females and 32 males) had depression and 309 adolescents (73.57%) were normal or without depression. The chi-square test indicated female adolescents with depression were statistically significant more than male adolescents (X²=7.85; p =.006). (2) Adolescents without depression having mental health literacy both in overall and each of five components were at a high level. For the group of adolescents with depression, their mental health literacy in overall were at a moderate level. When considering each component, it was found that knowledge of help-seeking options and treatments available,  knowledge of self-help strategies for milder problems, and first aid skills for others affected by mental health problems were also a moderate level while the rest of them, knowledge of mental illness prevention and recognition of when a mental health problem is developing were at a high level. (3) Adolescents with depression had statistically significant lower mental health literacy than those without depression (t = 5.62 p =.000). When considering in each component, it was found that four components including knowledge of mental illness prevention, knowledge of help-seeking options and treatments available, knowledge of self-help strategies for milder problems and first aid skills for others affected by mental health problems had a lower score than those without depression at the 0.01 level of significance.