Publicação
Positive Mental Health Literacy for Complete Mental Health. Contributions on theory, measurement and intervention
| Resumo: | Recent mental health conceptualizations operationalize two continuums: the positive mental health continuum, with mental well-being, and the mental illness continuum, with psychopathology. Though the importance of mental well-being for overall mental health and development has been well established by scientific evidence, mental health literacy research has gravitated solely into mental illness literacy, leaving positive mental health literacy to be defined, so as its measures and interventions. Additionally, psychological processes underlying mechanisms of change related to mental health literacy have not been explored. In order to answer these gaps the present thesis aimed to contribute: a) at a theoretical level – by integrating the complete mental health model to operationalize positive mental health literacy; b) at a psychometric level – developing and validating a new measure of positive mental health literacy; c) on the mapping of psychological processes related to mental health literacy; d) at an intervention level – developing and pilot testing the efficacy of two interventions promoting mental health literacy that includes positive mental health. Therefore, eight studies were developed, following different designs. The first study (study I) is theoretical study on the importance of positive mental health literacy; three studies (studies II, III, IV) are psychometric – studies II (N=418 adults; cross-sectional) and III (N= 548 adolescents; cross-sectional) focused on the development of a new measure of positive mental health literacy: the PosMHLit; study IV (N=534 adolescents; cross-sectional) adapted the Brief Cope to portuguese adolescents; two studies (studies V and VI) explore psychological processes related to mental health literacy, like the relation between mental health literacy and coping study V (N= 240 adolescents; 74 young-adults; 105 adults; cross-sectional) and the mediational effect of self-compassion and hope on the relation between mental health literacy and mental health in study VI (N= 181 adults; cross-sectional); two studies on intervention development, study VII (N= 30 adolescents; 30 adults; experimental) that assessed the effect of 8 video-vignettes promoting mental health literacy and study VIII (N= 33 adults; quasi-experimental) on the efficacy of a new mental health literacy intervention program that integrates positive mental health literacy, literacy about mental illness, compassionate attitudes towards help-seeking and help-giving. Measures of mental health literacy, positive mental health, mental illness, self-compassion, coping and hope were used. The results found suggest that: a) Positive mental health literacy should be operationalized as different from literacy about mental disorders. It should focus on mental well-being and its protectors conceptualization and training. b) The PosMHLit is a valid and reliable measure for adolescents and adults, composed by one-dimension that is correlated to literacy about mental illness, mental well-being, mental illness, self-compassion, coping and hope. The Brief Cope is valid and reliable to portuguese adolescents. c) All coping strategies are significantly correlated to both literacies but in different directions. Using emotional support is the only strategy associated to both literacies in all developmental groups. Although mental health literacy is a predictor of both mental well-being and illness, positive mental health literacy is a better predictor of mental well-being. Self-compassion, more than hope, mediates this effect as well as the meditational effect of hope in the relation between mental health literacy and mental health. d) Adolescents and adults recognize mental illness videos vignettes better than positive mental health videos, yet videos and expert explanation combined only promoted positive mental health literacy in adolescents from experimental condition. The innovative program developed for adults (study VIII) and tested trough robust ITT and RCI analysis improves self-compassion and coping in experimental condition. Finally, girls present higher levels of mental health literacy. Implications from the results found acknowledge mental health literacy and developmental research, clinical practice, and policy making. |
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| Autores principais: | Carvalho, Mariana Portocarrero Maia de |
| Assunto: | Literacia sobre saúde mental positiva; auto-compaixão; coping; esperança; literacia sobre saúde mental; Coping; Hope; Mental Health Literacy; Positive mental health literacy; Self-Compassion; |
| Ano: | 2024 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | tese de doutoramento |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Coimbra |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra |
| Resumo: | Recent mental health conceptualizations operationalize two continuums: the positive mental health continuum, with mental well-being, and the mental illness continuum, with psychopathology. Though the importance of mental well-being for overall mental health and development has been well established by scientific evidence, mental health literacy research has gravitated solely into mental illness literacy, leaving positive mental health literacy to be defined, so as its measures and interventions. Additionally, psychological processes underlying mechanisms of change related to mental health literacy have not been explored. In order to answer these gaps the present thesis aimed to contribute: a) at a theoretical level – by integrating the complete mental health model to operationalize positive mental health literacy; b) at a psychometric level – developing and validating a new measure of positive mental health literacy; c) on the mapping of psychological processes related to mental health literacy; d) at an intervention level – developing and pilot testing the efficacy of two interventions promoting mental health literacy that includes positive mental health. Therefore, eight studies were developed, following different designs. The first study (study I) is theoretical study on the importance of positive mental health literacy; three studies (studies II, III, IV) are psychometric – studies II (N=418 adults; cross-sectional) and III (N= 548 adolescents; cross-sectional) focused on the development of a new measure of positive mental health literacy: the PosMHLit; study IV (N=534 adolescents; cross-sectional) adapted the Brief Cope to portuguese adolescents; two studies (studies V and VI) explore psychological processes related to mental health literacy, like the relation between mental health literacy and coping study V (N= 240 adolescents; 74 young-adults; 105 adults; cross-sectional) and the mediational effect of self-compassion and hope on the relation between mental health literacy and mental health in study VI (N= 181 adults; cross-sectional); two studies on intervention development, study VII (N= 30 adolescents; 30 adults; experimental) that assessed the effect of 8 video-vignettes promoting mental health literacy and study VIII (N= 33 adults; quasi-experimental) on the efficacy of a new mental health literacy intervention program that integrates positive mental health literacy, literacy about mental illness, compassionate attitudes towards help-seeking and help-giving. Measures of mental health literacy, positive mental health, mental illness, self-compassion, coping and hope were used. The results found suggest that: a) Positive mental health literacy should be operationalized as different from literacy about mental disorders. It should focus on mental well-being and its protectors conceptualization and training. b) The PosMHLit is a valid and reliable measure for adolescents and adults, composed by one-dimension that is correlated to literacy about mental illness, mental well-being, mental illness, self-compassion, coping and hope. The Brief Cope is valid and reliable to portuguese adolescents. c) All coping strategies are significantly correlated to both literacies but in different directions. Using emotional support is the only strategy associated to both literacies in all developmental groups. Although mental health literacy is a predictor of both mental well-being and illness, positive mental health literacy is a better predictor of mental well-being. Self-compassion, more than hope, mediates this effect as well as the meditational effect of hope in the relation between mental health literacy and mental health. d) Adolescents and adults recognize mental illness videos vignettes better than positive mental health videos, yet videos and expert explanation combined only promoted positive mental health literacy in adolescents from experimental condition. The innovative program developed for adults (study VIII) and tested trough robust ITT and RCI analysis improves self-compassion and coping in experimental condition. Finally, girls present higher levels of mental health literacy. Implications from the results found acknowledge mental health literacy and developmental research, clinical practice, and policy making. |
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