Depression literacy and awareness programs among Bangladeshi students: An online survey

Modifiable predictors of mental health literacy in the educational context: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Mental health literacy is vital for well-being in educational settings, extending beyond academics to include social and emotional development. It empowers individuals, allowing them to recognize and address their mental health needs and provide essential support to their peers. Despite the acknowledged importance of modifiable factors, there is a noticeable research gap in those amenable to change through educational interventions. Thus, this systematic review aims to identify potentially modifiable predictors of mental health literacy in the educational context. A systematic search was conducted for quantitative studies published between 2019 and October 2023 using several databases following PRISMA guidelines. Studies needed to focus on potentially modifiable predictors of mental health literacy in the educational context. Study quality was assessed using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS tool). In total, 3747 titles and abstracts were screened, 60 articles were assessed in full-text screening, and 21 were included in the review. Significant correlations between mental health literacy and modifiable predictors, including stigma toward professional help, self-efficacy, attitudes toward help-seeking, social support, positive psychological states, receiving mental health training, and psychological distress, were identified. By addressing these factors, educational institutions can cultivate community's adept in mental health, fostering an environment marked by empathy, understanding, and proactive engagement in addressing mental health issues. The implications serve as a foundation for future research, policy development, and implementing of practical strategies to enhance mental health literacy in diverse educational settings.

Depression stigma, depression literacy, and psychological help seeking attitudes among school and university students

Very little research has specifically investigated depression stigma and its correlation with depression literacy and help-seeking attitudes among students. This study aimed to assess the levels and correlations of stigma, literacy, and psychological help-seeking attitudes related to depression among a sample of high school and university students in Jordan. A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was employed using an anonymous, online, self-report survey. This study included a total of 650 students aged 16 to 24 years. The participants were found to have high levels of depression stigma, low levels of depression literacy, and negative attitudes towards seeking psychological help. The most frequently reported sources of psychological help were family members, relatives, and friends. A significant negative correlation was found between depression stigma and depression literacy. The predictive factors of depression stigma were depression literacy, age, gender, education, father's educational level, family size, and having history of mental health problems among family members, relatives, or friends. This study provides valuable information on the common mental health needs and concerns among students in Jordan. The findings also highlight the importance of developing and implementing depression awareness and prevention education campaigns for students in schools and universities. Such campaigns may increase students' knowledge about depression, enhance their use of mental healthcare services, and prevent or decrease their risk of developing depression.

The status of depression literacy and its relationship with quality of life among Iranian public population: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

This study was designed and conducted to determine the status of depression literacy (D-Lit) and its relationship with the quality of life across the Iranian population.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 among 1382 participating from the general population in Gonabad, Iran. Participants were selected and recruited using a multistage sampling method. Data were collected using three sets of questionnaires (demographic section, D-Lit scale, and quality of life questionnaire). Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 24 and using independent samples t- test, Chi-square test, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation.

RESULTS

Based on the results, the mean (± standard deviation) of D-Lit and quality of life were 44.14 (± 4.69) and 35.81 (± 5.17), respectively. Based on the results of Pearson correlation coefficient, there was a significant positive correlation between D-Lit and quality of life (r = 0.104, p < 0.001). D-Lit was significantly higher in those who reported having consulted with a psychiatrist compared with those who did not (p < 0.001). Participants with a family history of mental illness and those whose family members were referred to a psychologist for psychological issues had significantly higher levels of D-Lit than others (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of this study, some D-Lit projects should be improved. Also, the results revealed that D-Lit is a potential factor that can affect people's mental health status and enhance their quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary to develop appropriate educational programs to enhance D-Lit in the community and ultimately improve the quality of life in the community by reducing mental illness.

Impact of the HOPE Intervention on Mental Health Literacy, Psychological Well-Being and Stress Levels amongst University Undergraduates: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Mental health literacy (MHL) promotes mental health among youths. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the newly developed HOPE intervention in improving depression literacy, anxiety literacy, psychological well-being, and reducing personal stigma and stress levels amongst young adults at a university in Singapore. After two pilot studies, we conducted a randomised controlled trial (RCT) and recruited 174 participants aged 18-24 years old through social media platforms. The HOPE intervention group received four online sessions over two weeks and the control group received online inspirational quotes. Study outcomes were measured with self-reported questionnaires and they were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and two-month follow-up (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04266119). Compared with the control arm, the intervention group was associated with increased depression and anxiety literacy levels at post-intervention and two-month follow-up. In addition, personal stigma for depression was reduced at the post-intervention juncture. However, there were no statistically significant changes in the ratings of psychological well-being and stress levels between the two groups. Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to replicate and extend the extant findings.

Exploring the Online Behavior of Users of Online Depression-Focused Communities: Comparing Communities with Different Management Types

Introduction

Online depression-focused communities (ODCs) are popular avenues that help people cope with depression. However, to the best of our knowledge, research on online behavior and differences among users from managed and unmanaged ODCs has not been explored.

Methods

We collected data from the most popular managed depression-focused community (MDC) and unmanaged depression-focused community (UDC) in China. Text classifiers were built using deep-learning methods to identify social support (ie, informational and emotional support) and companionship expressed in the posts of these communities. Based on the content of their posts, community users were clustered into supporters and ordinary members. Econometrics was used to analyze the factors that influence supporters’ contributions and ordinary members’ participation in MDCs and UDCs.

Results

Community response has a positive impact on supporters’ social support and time span in the UDC, but this impact is not significant in the MDC. Supporters expressing positive emotions provide more social support, and they are more willing to serve in the MDC. Supporters expressing negative emotions tend to have longer engagement with the UDC. In addition, community response has a positive effect on ordinary members’ participation in both communities, and this effect is greater in the UDC. Ordinary members expressing positive emotions are more active in the MDC, and ordinary members expressing negative emotions are more active in the UDC.

Conclusion

This study improves the understanding of users’ online behaviors in ODCs, provides decision-making support for designers and managers of ODCs, and provides information that can be used to help improve aid for people with depression provided by community and mental health professionals.

Exploring the association between mental health and subjective sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic among Bangladeshi university students

The outbreak of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has triggered a global panic, affecting the mental well-being of people of all ages, including students. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between self-reported mental health concerns and subjective sleep quality of the Bangladeshi university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted to maintain the social distancing recommended by the World Health Organization. There were 1,317 student responses from 49 universities across Bangladesh. Data was analyzed by executing both bi-variate and multivariate analysis. Findings indicate that 27.1%, 51.0%, 45.9%, and 86.0% of students had poor subjective sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and fear of COVID-19, respectively. Anxiety (AOR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06–1.12, p < 0.001) was a risk factor for increasing the poor subjective sleep quality of university students. In contrast, the odds of poor subjective sleep quality were lower with increasing the score of depression (AOR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.86–0.90, p < 0.001) and fear of COVID-19 (AOR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.94–0.99, p < 0.05). Compared to public university students, private university students were more likely to report poor subjective sleep quality since the pandemic began. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that psychiatric conditions of university students should be monitored during the COVID-19 epidemic, and necessary strategies, such as allocation of resources, implementation of awareness programs, establishment of psychological counselling unit, should carefully be devised.