@article{ref1,
title="What adolescent girls know about mental health: findings from a mental health literacy survey from an urban slum setting in India",
journal="Indian journal of psychological medicine",
year="2018",
author="Saraf, Gayatri and Chandra, Prabha S. and Desai, Geetha and Rao, Girish N.",
volume="40",
number="5",
pages="433-439",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Youth in vulnerable situations are known to have high rates of mental disorders but low help-seeking. Help-seeking is known to be influenced by mental health literacy (MHL), a key concept that is important for the recognition of mental disorders and planning intervention. AIMS: To explore MHL and help-seeking patterns in a group of young women in an urban slum setting in India. <br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 337 young women between 16 and 19 years of age belonging to urban slum settings formed the study sample. Two vignettes on depression and self-harm were used to assess: (a) recognition of the disorder, (b) help-seeking, and (c) knowledge of treatments available. <br><br>RESULTS: Only 8% of women were able to label the condition as depression in the first vignette. Though suicidality was identified correctly by the majority of participants 73 (63%), they did not think it needed urgent intervention. Only a few considered mental health professionals as possible sources of help (19.3% for depression and 2.4% for self-harm). Majority of the young women felt friends and parents were sources of help, and that stigma and lack of awareness were the reasons for not considering professional help. <br><br>CONCLUSION: MHL regarding depression and suicidality is low among young women from low-income areas. It is a critical and urgent need to encourage early and appropriate help-seeking for mental health problems in this vulnerable population.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0253-7176",
doi="10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_108_18",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_108_18"
}