Abstract
Introduction: Mental health is a basic human right that requires universal access for all people, but a lot of disparities remain in mental health services. Mental health literacy is critical to accessing available mental healthcare and other social support services. Systemic challenges, lack of mental health literacy, and access barriers, including mental illness stigma, have contributed to the increasing mental health disparities in Black communities.
Aim: This study explored the impact of negative psychosocial experiences and sociodemographic factors on mental health literacy in Black families and communities in Ontario.
Methods: Three hundred and thirty-fiveBlack people of African descent participated in this cross-sectional study (175 women, 156 men, and four persons of other gender identities) using multiple linear regression analysis.
Results: All independent factors in the model jointly contributed at a statistically significant level (X2 = 360.11, p < .001) to variation in mental health literacy among the study population. Two sociodemographic and three psychosocial variables had independent statistically significant association with mental health literacy. Among the sociodemographic variables, age (β = −0.27, CI = −0.42, −0.12, p < .001) had a negative association with MHL; that is, being older by one year correlated with a reduced MHL score by 0.27 units. Similarly, having multiple income sources (β = −6.91, CI: −13.04, −0.78; p < .05) had negative association with MHL, that is, having multiple income sources relating to having one income source correlated with reduced mental health literacy by 6.91 units. Among the psychosocial variables, CAMI (β = −0.51; CI = −0.56, −0.45; p < .001) had a negative association with MHL; that is, a unit increase in CAMI score correlated with a 0.51 unit decrease in MHL score. Likewise, DAS (β = −0.08; CI = −0.15, −0.01; p < .05) had a negative association with MHL, that is, a unit increase in DAS score correlated with a 0.08 unit decrease in MHL score.
Conclusion: Public health interventions that focus on different aspects of the worldview of Black families and communities to create awareness of mental health literacy should be prioritized as a critical approach to mental health promotion.