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Assessment of Mental Health Awareness: A Questionnaire- Base Study
Abstract
Background: Mental health awareness is very important, since it not only promotes emotional well-being but also prevents psychological disorders. The understanding of public perception is thus a major factor to uncover the areas that need awareness and the knowledge gaps existing in the society. Objective: The main objective was to measure the awareness and the understanding level of mental health, symptoms, causes, and professional treatment among a small group of participants.
Methods: A questionnaire with five major questions was given out to 12 participants. The answers were then evaluated to find out the knowledge of the participants about the definitions of mental health, symptoms of depression, biological causes, right professionals, and consequences of untreated mental illness.
Result: The largest part of the respondents (41.7%) interpreted mental health as complete emotional and psychological well-being in the right way. The majority (75%) pointed out persistent sadness and loss of interest as a main symptom of depression. Just 33.3% detected genetic inheritance as a biological cause, and this limited understanding of biological factors is alarming. Nevertheless, there was a high percentage (83.3%) of respondents who identified psychiatrist as the specialist for treatment correctly. More than half (58.3%) were aware that social isolation and relationship problems are among the consequences of untreated mental illness.
Discussion: The data indicate that participants have a moderate level of awareness of mental health. They were able to accurately identify the symptoms and the specialists involved in the therapy, but they were unsure about the biological origins and the broader notion of mental health. This highlights the need for a public campaign to educate people on the biology of mental health.
Conclusion: Moderate mental health awareness is indicated by the results, where there is good recognition of symptoms and professionals yet limited understanding of biological causes. The continuous presence of awareness programs and education in the field of mental health are the steps that have to be taken in order to achieve higher public knowledge and lower stigma.
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