@Article{ijmhp.2023.027383,
AUTHOR = {Yeo-Won Jeong, Jung-Ha Kim, Hyun-Kyeong Park},
TITLE = {Study on the Relationship between Mental Health Literacy and Psychological Symptoms of University Students: Mediating Effect of Grit},
JOURNAL = {International Journal of Mental Health Promotion},
VOLUME = {25},
YEAR = {2023},
NUMBER = {7},
PAGES = {813--821},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/IJMHP/v25n7/52896},
ISSN = {2049-8543},
ABSTRACT = {<b>Background:</b> The occurrence of mental health symptoms is higher in individuals aged between 18 and 24 years than in other age
groups. Mental health literacy is derived from health literacy, and focuses on the knowledge, attitudes, and competencies that
individuals need to acquire to manage their own health effectively. Low mental health literacy is associated with poorer mental
health. Grit is also a known protective factor against mental disorders. Despite a heightened focus on mental health literacy
and grit as important factors for decreasing mental health symptoms, knowledge of the effect of mental health literacy and grit
on mental health symptoms is very limited. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between mental health literacy and
psychological symptoms and the mediating effect of grit on these relationships. <b>Methods: </b>This cross-sectional descriptive study
used survey data from 178 university students in Korea. Data were collected between March and May 2022. The SPSS
PROCESS macro (Model 4) was used to analyze the data. <b>Results:</b> Mental health literacy was not directly associated with
psychological symptoms. However, an indirect pathway was observed between mental health literacy, depression, and anxiety,
through grit. <b>Conclusion:</b> Mental health literacy affects psychological symptoms through grit. Therefore, to improve the
mental health of university students, it is necessary to develop programs that increase mental health literacy and grit.},
DOI = {10.32604/ijmhp.2023.027383}
}