Mental Health Literacy, Help-Seeking, Help-Giving and School Climate: The Case of Adolescents in Ghana

Abstract

Mental health literacy has gained a substantial amount of attention because of its significant implications on the mental health of individuals. Over the years, the focus of mental health literacy research has increasingly shifted to children and young people, with a particular interest in adolescents. This study sought to assess the level of mental health literacy and its correlates among school-going adolescents in Ghana. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey where data was collected among senior high school students in Greater Accra Region. The instruments used for data collection were the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MHLq), Inventory of Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS), Mental Health First Aid Vignette (MHFAV) and Delaware School Climate Survey- Student (DSCS-S). A total of 798 students were recruited using a two-stage cluster sampling technique. Data collected was analysed using the Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical multiple regression tests. Findings of this study showed that mental health literacy had a significant positive relationship with both help-seeking attitudes and help-giving intentions. It was also found that dimensions of school climate moderated these relationships in an inverse manner, while gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes. These findings have implications for increasing awareness and the need to improve mental health literacy among adolescents in Ghana and establishing a supportive school environment within Ghanaian schools.