Depression Literacy in Urban and Suburban Residents of Tehran, the Capital of Iran; Recognition, Help Seeking and Stigmatizing Attitude and the Predicting Factors

Abstract

Background: Recognizing the mental health literacy condition among the people is an important step towards promotion of mental health of a society. This study has been conducted to evaluate the depression literacy among Tehran city and its suburban residents.

Methods: This is a cross‑sectional study of 18‑ to 68‑year‑old residents in Tehran city and suburb in 2017. Sampling in Tehran city was conducted using Random Digit Dialing (RDD) and 1340 people were recruited. In suburb Shamsabad and Salehabad from south of Tehran were considered as clusters and data gathering conducted by face to face interview. Depression literacy was assessed by a structured questionnaire. After introducing a vignette with a psychiatric disorder, participants were questioned in the domains of recognition of the disorder, intention to seek help and attitudes toward social stigma.

Results: Correct recognition was 52.2% and 30% and intention to seek
help was 54% and 33.3% in Tehran city and suburb, respectively. Female gender (P < 0.001), age increasing (P = 0.002) and higher education (P < 0.001) significantly scaled up the chance of correct recognition of depression, when female gender (P = 0.001), increasing age (P < 0.001), and being married (P = 0.01) could significantly improve the probability of seeking help. Results also showed that being married (P = 0.005) and higher education (P < 0.001) predicted lower stigma.

Conclusions: Overall depression literacy in Tehran city and suburb was low, so
intervention among target population in order to increase the depression literacy seems to be necessary.

Keywords: Depression, health literacy, help‑seeking, recognition, social stigma