Assessing Mental Health Literacy Among Undergraduate Nursing Students in South Africa

Background: Amidst a growing shortage of human resources for mental health, concerns persist over the mental health literacy (MHL) and readiness of nursing students to fulfil their future role as non-specialist mental healthcare providers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the MHL among nursing students enrolled in a four-year nursing programme using the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) adapted and validated for primary health care workers in the South African context. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the factors influencing MHL among the nursing students. Results: Only a third of the 220 respondents (n = 73; 33.2%) expressed interest in specialising in mental health. A one-way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences in the MHLS scores across year levels, F(3, 216) = 3.225, p = 0.023, though Tukey post hoc analysis found no significant difference between second-year students (with mental health theory only) and third-/fourth-years (with both theoretical and clinical exposure, p = 0.295). Year of study, family history of mental illness, and career aspirations in mental health were significant predictors of MHL. While gender initially appeared significant, a sensitivity analysis suggested that this result may not be robust due to the small number of male participants. Conclusions: The absence of a significant difference in MHL among nursing students across years of study suggests limitations in how the nursing training programme integrates mental health theory with clinical practice. Nursing education stakeholders should review curricula and teaching strategies to ensure that MHL is effectively reinforced throughout training.