Fundamentals of Mental Health

Fundamentals of Mental Health

Investigating the relationship between mental health literacy and psychiatric disorders among students of Ghalib University in Herat, Afghanistan

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Wahid Ahmad Naseri 1
Jamileh Mohtashami 2
Mohammad Hossain Beheshti 3
1 M.Sc. student in psychiatric nursing, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Ph.D, Associate professor, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Ph.D, Assistant professor, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22038/jfmh.2026.87829.3243
Abstract
Introduction: Mental health literacy, which refers to the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding mental disorders, facilitate the symptoms recognition, management, and prevention. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between mental health literacy and psychiatric disorders.
Materials and Methods: This is a correlational-descriptive study that was conducted on 310 students of Ghalib University in Herat-Afghanistan in 2024. To collect data, the O'Connor and Casey Mental Health Literacy Scale and the Symptom CheckList-25 were utilized.
Results: The results indicated a significant relationship between the mean scores of mental health literacy and psychiatric disorders (P< 0.05, r= -0.132). The mean score of mental health literacy and psychiatric disorders was 85.96 and 35.67 respectively. The findings showed that mental health literacy of students had a significant correlation with two sub-scales of anxiety (r= 0.126) and paranoid thoughts (r= 0.167).
Conclusion: The use of counseling centers and educational workshops are recommended for the development of mental health literacy.
Keywords
Health knowledge
Literacy
Mental disorders
University students
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Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 28, Issue 3
May and June 2026
Pages 177-184