Mapping the mental health literacy level of young people in the metropolitan area of Oporto

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to map the level of mental health literacy (MHL) among young people aged 14 to 18 living in the Porto metropolitan area. Methods: A total of 847 young people participated in the study. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Portuguese versions of the Mental Health Promoting Knowledge Scale (MHPK-10) and Mental Health Literacy Measure (MHLM) were used. As exclusion criteria, young people were not to have a confirmed pathology that would prevent them from reading and understanding the questions. To assess possible predictors of MHL in youth, multiple linear regression was used. Results: It was found that 75.65% of the sample had a score of four or more on the MHPK-10, and 71.97% had a score on the MHLM indicative of a level of LSM. Predictor variables of a higher level of LSM include being older (95%CI_<age ]0.03; 0.10[), being female (95%CI_male ]0.06; 0.20[), having higher education (95%CI_>educat ]1.12; 2.66[), and knowing someone with mental illness (95%CI_know ]0.45; 1.59[). Conclusion: According to the results, levels of LSM in the young population in Portugal are relatively high, with values denoting approximately 70% understanding.