Self-diagnose is associated with knowledge and attitude towards mental illness of university students in Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract Background Mental illness is still stigmatized and poorly understood in Indonesian society, but university students could be a key target for promoting positive attitudes and increasing awareness. This study aims to explore the knowledge and attitudes of university students in Indonesia toward mental illness and to identify associated factors, emphasizing self-diagnosis. Method An analytical cross-sectional study on university students in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was conducted from September to November 2022. Participants completed an online questionnaire about their sociodemographic data, mental health knowledge (utilized Mental Health Knowledge Schedule questionnaire), and attitudes toward mental illness (utilized Community Attitude to Mental Illness Inventory questionnaire). Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression were performed to analyze collected data. Results A total of 402 university students were included in the study. Results demonstrated that half of the students had good mental illness knowledge (50.7%), and slightly more than half had favorable attitudes (53.0%). Self-diagnosis was significantly associated with poorer knowledge and negative attitudes (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19 to 4.50 and AOR: 2.12, 95% CI 1.13 to 3.99; P < 0.05, respectively). Additionally, students who had never studied psychology or psychiatry and had a family mental illness history were at higher risk (P < 0.05) for poor knowledge of mental illness (AOR: 2.24, 95% CI 1.18 to 4.25 and AOR: 1.82, 95% CI 1.00 to 3.30, respectively). Interestingly, students with lower monthly family incomes had more positive attitudes (AOR: 0.39, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.86; P < 0.05). A very weak negative correlation (ρ = − 0.173; P < 0.001) between mental illness knowledge and attitudes was observed. Conclusion Promoting awareness and knowledge about mental health, as well as preventing self-diagnosis, is crucial in addressing the lack of knowledge and negative attitudes toward mental illness among university students in Indonesia, which is expected to play a role in the wider community ultimately.