Vietnamese High School Students’ Perception of Mental Health Literacy

ABSTRACT Literacy in mental health includes the ability to identify specific disorders; the ability to find information on mental health; awareness about risk factors and causes, available self-treatment and care; and attitudes which encourage identification and effective assistance. High school students, with solid yet inconsistent growth both physically and mentally, are a critical stage of development. In addition, most psychological disorders typically occur around the age of 14 years. However, few studies, especially in Vietnam, have considered the mental health literacy of high school learners. The goal of this research was to examine and analyze the mental health literacy of Vietnamese high school students. A cross-sectional study utilizing Mental Health Literacy Scale was conducted with 580 high school students. Vietnamese high school students did not have full understanding of mental health disorders despite their willingness to search for information about mental illness