Department of Physical and Health Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Secondary School attached to the Faculty of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2015 Sep;69(9):572-9. doi: 10.1111/pcn.12320. Epub 2015 Jul 1.
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 developed a concise, school-staff-led MHL program and examined its effects.
The participants comprised 118 grade-9 students (61 boys and 57 girls). The program consisted of two 50-min sessions, and was given by a schoolteacher. The effects of the program were evaluated before, immediately after and 3 months after the program, using a self-report questionnaire.
Knowledge of mental health/illnesses and desirable behavior for help-seeking were significantly improved immediately after (post-test, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively) and 3 months after the program (3-month follow up, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, 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 < 0.001) 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 < 0.001) elevated at post-test and at 3 months compared with the pre-test.
A concise, school-staff-led program may have a significant effect on the improvement of MHL in secondary school students.
提高青少年对心理健康(或心理健康素养[MHL])的知识和信念,可能会促进有心理健康问题的青少年寻求适当的帮助。我们开发了一个简洁的、由学校工作人员主导的 MHL 项目,并检验了其效果。
参与者包括 118 名 9 年级学生(61 名男生和 57 名女生)。该项目由一名学校教师进行,共包括两节课,每节课 50 分钟。使用自我报告问卷在项目实施前、实施后即刻和实施后 3 个月评估项目的效果。
心理健康/疾病知识和寻求帮助的理想行为在项目实施后即刻(后测,P<0.001 和 P<0.001)和 3 个月后(3 个月随访,P<0.001 和 P<0.001)均显著提高,与项目实施前的测试(前测,Wilcoxon 符号秩检验)相比。对大萧条和精神分裂症案例描述的正确诊断比例分别从 38.3%和 19.1%(前测)显著提高到 94.7%和 93.6%(后测),以及 91.5%和 86.2%(3 个月随访)。寻求帮助的意向和为心理健康问题的同龄人提供帮助的意向也在项目实施后即刻和 3 个月时显著(P<0.001)高于前测。
一个简洁的、由学校工作人员主导的项目可能对提高中学生的 MHL 有显著效果。