title: Evaluation of the Mental Healthiness Aging Initiative: community program to promote awareness about mental health and aging issues.
abstract: The objective of this study is to evaluate the Mental Healthiness Aging Initiative, designed to promote community awareness and knowledge about mental health and aging issues. This study occurred during 2007-2009 in 67 of 120 counties in Kentucky. A rural region (11 counties) received the intervention, consisting of focus groups, Extension Agent training, and television-based social marketing campaign. Partial-intervention counties (29 counties) received only the television-based social marketing campaign. The control counties (27 counties) received no intervention activities. Results indicated that the intervention counties agreed more with being able to assist elder adults with a potential mental illness. Also, the intervention counties understood the risk of consuming alcohol and medications better, but had a poorer recognition of drinking problems in elder adults. These findings need to be considered within study limitations, such as measurement error, degree of intervention exposure, and regional differences across intervention groups. The study demonstrates that community interventions on mental health awareness and knowledge are feasible within majority rural regions, with Extension Agents being gatekeepers, for promoting positive messages about mental health and aging issues.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Center for Gerontology, University of Kentucky, 900 S Limestone, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. f.zanjani@uky.edu
authors.forename: Faika
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zanjani
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kruger
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D019058:Community Networks; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007629:Kentucky; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult