Improving Mental Health Literacy Among Iranian Middle School Students: A Quasi-Experimental Intervention

Stigma and a lack of knowledge are significant barriers to seeking mental health support, particularly among adolescents. In Iran, there is a scarcity of interventional studies addressing these issues, and the findings from existing research are often inconsistent. This study translated and culturally adapted the Canadian Guidance about Mental Health and the High School Curriculum for implementation in Iranian schools to address this gap. This study aims to determine the effect of this educational intervention on the mental health literacy of Iranian students.

This research employed a quasi-experimental design involving a sample of two hundred middle school children aged 14.28 ± 0.7 years, ranging from 13 to 16 years old. The educational intervention for the experimental group consisted of six sessions, each lasting 45 to 60 minutes. Data were collected using the Knowledge and Attitudes to Mental Health Scales (KAMHS). The data were analyzed using inter-group and intra-group repeated measures ANOVA, with a significance cutoff of P<0.05.

There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between the intervention and control groups. However, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in mental health behaviors, a reduction in stigma, and an increase in help-seeking, while the control group showed no such changes (P<0.05).

The designed intervention was effective in increasing knowledge and attitudes.