Multicomponent Mental Health Literacy – Chinese Version

Description

In recent years, mental health issues among various social groups have become an important public health concern in China. Mental health literacy, an essential factor influencing mental health, has gained increasing attention from scholars both domestically and internationally. The “Guidelines for Strengthening Mental Health Services” issued in 2016 by the National Health Commission and 22 other departments explicitly stated the goal to “universally improve mental health literacy by 2030.” Mental health literacy refers to the knowledge and beliefs that help individuals recognize, manage, and prevent mental disorders. This encompasses the ability to identify specific mental illnesses, knowledge on how to obtain mental health information, understanding the risk factors and self-help strategies related to mental disorders, as well as beliefs that promote recognition and effective help-seeking. Enhancing mental health literacy is significant for early identification of mental disorders, accessing effective treatment resources, reducing stigma, and increasing positive attitudes towards professional mental help, which is vital for the prevention and improvement of mental health issues.

Authors and Contact Email

Ming Zhijun, Chen Zhiyan, Wang Yaxin, Jiang Lan, Guo Fei. Email information not available.

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the mental health literacy of male soldiers using the Multicomponent Mental Health Literacy (MMHL) scale, which was developed based on the mental health literacy concept and definition proposed by Jorm et al.

Test Year

The data was collected from November to December 2018.

Administration Method and Scoring

A total of 1,175 questionnaires were randomly collected from soldiers stationed in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Shandong through the “Wenjuanxing” online platform. After excluding 63 suspicious questionnaires based on the response to lie detection items and removing 6 female questionnaires, 1,106 valid questionnaires were retained, achieving an effective recovery rate of 94.13%. All participants were male soldiers aged between 18 and 50 years, with an average age of 26.16 ± 5.28 years. The scoring of the MMHL scale includes three dimensions:
– 知识维度 (Knowledge Dimension): 10 items scored positively where choosing “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” earns 1 point, total score ranges from 0 to 10.
– 信念维度 (Belief Dimension): 8 items scored negatively where choosing “Strongly Disagree” or “Disagree” earns 1 point, total score ranges from 0 to 8.
– 资源维度 (Resource Dimension): 4 true/false items where answering “Yes” earns 1 point and “No” earns 0 points, total score ranges from 0 to 4.
The total score from all items ranges from 0 to 22, with higher scores indicating a higher level of mental health literacy.

Reliability and Validity

Information not available.

Factors and Subscales

The scale includes three primary dimensions:
– 知识维度 (Knowledge Dimension)
– 信念维度 (Belief Dimension)
– 资源维度 (Resource Dimension)

Keywords

Mental health, mental health literacy, public health, soldiers, MMHL scale.

Items in Chinese

1. 心理咨询与心理治疗是治疗抑郁症的有效方法。
2. 有精神分裂症的人可能会看到一些并不真正存在的事物。
3. 参加人际团体治疗有助于心理疾病的康复。
4. 无法解释的身体疼痛或疲劳可能是抑郁的征兆。
5. 认知行为疗法可以改变人的思考方式和对压力的反应。
6. 有躁郁症（又称双相情感障碍）的人会表现出情绪的急剧变化。
7. 服用处方药是治疗心理疾病的有效方法。
8. 一个人变得肮脏邋遢、不修边幅，可能是抑郁的征兆。
9. 喝酒会使心理疾病的症状恶化。
10. 有焦虑症的人会过度的担心或害怕。
11. 有坚定信仰或精神追求的人不会得心理疾病。
12. 有抑郁症的人性格软弱。
13. 心理疾病和心理问题是没办法预防的。
14. 心理疾病的好转主要靠运气。
15. 心理疾病即使不治疗，经过一段时间也会好转。
16. 心理疾病的症状一旦消失，就等于完全治好了。
17. 有强迫症的人只要自己想停止，就能摆脱自己的强迫行为。
18. 有抑郁症的人可以在不治疗的情况下靠自己好转。
19. 我知道去哪里获得心理健康服务。
20. 我知道从哪里获得到关于心理疾病的有用信息。
21. 我知道怎样查到自杀干预热线的电话号码。
22. 我知道如何联系到所在地区或单位的心理咨询室、心理健康中心或相关医院。

Items in English

1. Psychological counseling and psychotherapy are effective methods for treating depression.
2. Individuals with schizophrenia may see things that do not actually exist.
3. Participating in interpersonal group therapy helps in the recovery of mental illnesses.
4. Unexplained physical pain or fatigue may be signs of depression.
5. Cognitive behavioral therapy can change a person’s way of thinking and response to stress.
6. Individuals with bipolar disorder exhibit dramatic mood changes.
7. Prescription medication is an effective method for treating mental illnesses.
8. A person becoming unkempt and disheveled may be a sign of depression.
9. Alcohol consumption can worsen the symptoms of mental illnesses.
10. Individuals with anxiety disorders excessively worry or fear.
11. Individuals with strong beliefs or spiritual pursuits do not get mental illnesses.
12. Individuals with depression are weak in character.
13. Mental illnesses and psychological problems cannot be prevented.
14. The improvement of mental illnesses mainly relies on luck.
15. Mental illnesses will improve over time even without treatment.
16. The disappearance of mental illness symptoms means complete recovery.
17. Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder can stop their compulsive behaviors if they just want to.
18. Individuals with depression can get better on their own without treatment.
19. I know where to obtain mental health services.
20. I know where to get useful information about mental illnesses.
21. I know how to find the suicide intervention hotline number.
22. I know how to contact the psychological counseling office, mental health center, or related hospital in my area or organization.

References

明志君,陈祉妍,王雅芯,江兰,郭菲.中文版多元心理健康素养量表在男性军人中信效度评价[J].中国公共卫生,2021,37(01):86-91.