Mental health literacy: Public knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders in mainland China

Abstract

This study was concerned with the general mental health literacy of lay people in mainland China. It replicates in part many studies done in America, Australia, and Europe. A total of 212 participants were asked to read vignettes depicting people with schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia, depression, bipolar disorder, stress, child attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), child depression, and child "daily troubles." For each vignette they were asked to label the vignette character's main problem, to evaluate various suggestions for helping that person, to rate their attitudes towards the character, and finally their confidence in all their responses. Overall ADHD was the best identified, and bipolar disorder and stress were the least frequently identified mental health disorders. Professional help from a psychologist/psychiatrist was most frequently endorsed for all disorders, which was followed by help from parents or friends. No significant correlation was found between psychological knowledge and "correct" recognition as defined by the psychiatric label. The findings were discussed in relation to the Chinese language and culture, social beliefs about mental disorders, and suggestions for improvements in mental health literacy. Limitations of this study were also acknowledged, particularly with respect to sampling. Suggestions for future work research were considered.