Examining a Mental Health Literacy Intervention Among Economically Disadvantaged Youth

Abstract

Although mental health problems in adolescence are increasingly common, 60% of diagnosed youth do not receive appropriate mental health treatment. This service gap is even wider among adolescents from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who face increased mental health stigma and barriers to treatment. Mental health literacy is a pivotal step in addressing the discrepancy between rates of mental health diagnoses and of individuals treated. This study evaluates the influence of a 6-week mental health literacy intervention on economically disadvantaged adolescents’ mental health literacy, implemented by counselors-in-training. From pretest to posttest, adolescents’ mental health knowledge and attitudes toward help-seeking significantly increased, while mental health stigma significantly decreased. These changes were sustained at 1-month follow-up. The results highlight the importance of brief mental health literacy interventions to encourage healthy coping and help-seeking and to dispel stigmatizing beliefs.