Examining Mental Health Literacy Levels of Young Adults Enrolled in an Early Psychosis Intervention Program

Abstract

Background: Failure to recognize the symptoms of mental illness and a lack of knowledge of the appropriate actions to take if presented with these symptoms are considered signs of poor mental health literacy (MHL). Awareness of existing MHL levels in the adolescent and young adult population is crucial for the evaluation of targeted educational interventions and for the further development and implementation of these interventions in the future. Purpose: This project examines the knowledge, attitudes, and barriers towards mental illness and mental healthcare of a group of adolescent and young adult participants with a mental health diagnosis that includes psychotic symptoms before and after the administration of an educational session. Design: An educational quality improvement approach was used for this project’s design. Methods: MHL levels were assessed at baseline and following the educational session utilizing the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS), a 35-item questionnaire that assesses for knowledge and attitudes towards mental health and associated help seeking (O'Connor & Casey, 2015). A series of paired t-tests were conducted to assess for differences in means. Results: Three participants completed project activities, providing the data for analysis at pretest and post-test periods. Based on scoring of the MHLS, participants’ total levels of MHL decreased by one point following the educational session (p= 0.73). Conclusion: Adolescents and young adults with a diagnosis that includes psychotic symptoms appear to have adequate MHL levels at baseline based on the average pretest MHLS score.