title: Have mental health education programs influenced the mental health literacy of those with major depression and suicidal ideation? A comparison between 1998 and 2008 in South Australia.
abstract: Mental health literacy is the knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders that aid their recognition, management, or prevention and is considered to be an important determinant of help-seeking. This has relevance in suicide prevention, as depression, the clinical condition most frequently associated with suicidality, has been the target of community and professional education programs designed to enhance mental health literacy. In this study, whether such programs have influenced help-seeking attitudes and behavior in those who are depressed and suicidal was considered. The results indicate that despite intensive community education programs over the last two decades, there has been little change in those who are depressed and suicidal in terms of their attitudes toward treatment seeking and, more importantly, their treatment-seeking behavior. These results draw into question the value of current community education programs for those most vulnerable to suicidal behavior.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. peter.chamberlain@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: Peter N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Goldney
authors.forename: Anne W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Kerena A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Eckert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013021:South Australia; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000092864:Suicide Prevention