Mental Health Literacy from the Perspective of Multi-Field Experts in the Context of Chinese Culture

Abstract

The study aimed to explore the opinions of multi-field Chinese experts on mental health literacy and further build a comprehensive picture of mental health literacy based on these opinions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten Chinese experts from the fields of psychiatry, clinical psychology, mental health education, and social work. A mixed deductive-inductive thematic analysis was used in the analysis of the qualitative data. The experts noted that mental health literacy applies both to persons with mental illness and the people who help them. The comprehensive view of mental health literacy that emerged from the interviews included knowledge about mental illness, an attitude of acceptance, respectful behavior, and recognition of the importance of getting help. Characteristically, Chinese components of mental health literacy included living in harmony with others and achieving balance in all aspects of life. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first qualitative study of experts’ views of the concept of mental health literacy in the context of Chinese culture. The experts’ responses to the interviews generated a comprehensive view of mental health literacy, including several elements that may be especially salient in Chinese culture. The results have implications for researchers and clinicians.