Mental Health Literacy from Moslem Women Perspective

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to describe about Moslem women’s views of mental health literacy. Method: Descriptive analysis was applied in this study using depression and schizophrenia vignette as the instrument to collect data. Those vignettes were consisted of the depression and schizophrenia cases, which followed by some questions to explore the recognition of mental disorder symptoms, the belief about the cause, the help-seeking type, as well as the attitude toward people with mental disorder. Result: In the aspect of recognition of mental disorder, most participants could not recognize the symptoms of mental disorder with correct psychiatric label on both vignettes. In aspect of the belief about the cause of mental disorder, most participants believe the cause was psycho-social factor in both vignettes. Most participants also tend to seek informal help, such as a friend, family, and religious healers. Last, most participants are willing to be a friend and close with people in both vignettes, even though some of them stigmatized the people with mental disorder were harmful. Conclusion: Moslem women in this study to some extent recognize the psychiatric label of mental disorder, and believe the psycho-social factor was one of the causes of mental disorder, yet the attempt to seek help are still rely on informal type of help seeking, mainly to religious leader. It indicated that religion factor in the group of Moslem women in this study plays an important role in help-seeking aspect of mental health literacy.