Schizophrenia Research Foundation, R/7A, North Main Road, Anna Nagar West Extension, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600101, India; CitiesRISE, 33 W 60th Street FL2, New York, NY 10023, USA.
Schizophrenia Research Foundation, R/7A, North Main Road, Anna Nagar West Extension, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600101, India.
Asian J Psychiatr. 2024 Dec;102:104248. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104248. Epub 2024 Sep 21.
Global trends indicate a rise in mental health disorders among youth, prompting need for effective interventions. Mental health literacy interventions have demonstrated benefits such as improved knowledge, treatment understanding, help-seeking behaviors, and stigma reduction. This study aimed to assess the impact of a comprehensive mental health literacy program on knowledge, attitudes, and stigma related to mental health among secondary school students in Chennai.
Cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted among students from four secondary schools. Randomization was at cluster level to minimize contamination. Participating schools provided consent, and all ninth-grade students were invited to participate. Written informed consent was obtained from parents/guardians, and assent was obtained from students. There were no specific exclusion criteria, except for students who declined to participate. Analyses were performed using intention-to-treat principles, with multiple imputation for missing outcome data.
After adjusting for cluster effects, the intervention group showed a significant improvement in attitude scores compared to the control group (mean difference 0.85, 95 % CI: 0.32-1.39, p = 0.002). However, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of knowledge and stigma.
The findings suggest that delivering a mental health literacy curriculum alongside contact-based education involving individuals with lived experiences of mental disorders positively influences students' attitudes toward mental health. Although no significant changes were observed in knowledge and stigma levels, the integration of mental health literacy programs with personal narratives from those with lived experiences holds promise for addressing mental health stigma and promoting positive attitudes among school students.
全球趋势表明，青年人群中的心理健康障碍呈上升趋势，这促使我们需要采取有效的干预措施。心理健康素养干预已被证明具有多种益处，例如提高知识水平、增强对治疗的理解、促进寻求帮助的行为以及减少污名化。本研究旨在评估一项综合心理健康素养计划对金奈市中学生的心理健康知识、态度和污名相关问题的影响。
采用整群随机对照试验，在四所中学的学生中进行。采用集群水平随机化以尽量减少交叉污染。参与学校提供同意书，邀请所有九年级学生参加。家长/监护人获得书面知情同意书，学生获得同意书。除了拒绝参加的学生外，没有特定的排除标准。分析采用意向治疗原则进行，对缺失的结果数据进行多重插补。
在调整了集群效应后，干预组的态度得分与对照组相比有显著提高（平均差异 0.85，95%置信区间：0.32-1.39，p=0.002）。然而，两组在知识和污名方面没有观察到显著差异。
研究结果表明，在提供心理健康素养课程的同时，结合涉及有心理健康障碍经历的个人的接触式教育，可以积极影响学生对心理健康的态度。虽然在知识和污名水平方面没有观察到显著变化，但将心理健康素养计划与有实际经验的个人叙述相结合，有望解决心理健康污名问题，并促进中学生形成积极的态度。
