Table 2 Mental health literacy scale subsections among medical and non-medical students

Factor 1: Attitude toward mental illness

Q14. Belief that mental illness signifies personal weakness.^*

3.97 (1.200)

3.50 (1.372)

< 0.05

Q15. Perception of mental illness as not a real medical condition. ^*

4.72 (0.798)

4.56 (0.955)

< 0.05

Q16. View of people with mental illness as dangerous. ^*

3.51 (1.119)

3.58 (1.088)

0.160

Q17. Tendency to avoid people with mental illness. ^*

4.27 (0.973)

4.21 (1.068)

0.219

Q18 Reluctance to disclose one’s own mental illness. ^*

3.50 (1.227)

3.45 (1.253)

0.766

Q19. Belief that seeing a mental health professional indicates weakness. ^*

4.42 (1.085)

4.10 (1.324)

< 0.05

Q20. Unwillingness to seek professional help for mental illness. ^*

4.21 (1.118)

4.03 (1.182)

< 0.05

Q21. Skepticism about the effectiveness of professional mental health treatment. ^*

4.26 (0.972)

3.92 (1.154)

< 0.05

Factor 2: Attitude to someone with mental illness

Q22. How willing would you be to move next door to someone with a mental illness?

2.72 (0.995)

2.93 (1.037)

< 0.05

Q23. How willing would you be to spend an evening socializing with someone with a mental illness?

3.25 (1.126)

3.49 (1.104)

< 0.05

Q24. How willing would you be to make friends with someone with a mental illness?

3.21 (1.093)

3.43 (1.122)

< 0.05

Q25. How willing would you be to have someone with a mental illness start working closely with you on a job?

3.29 (1.033)

3.41 (1.084)

0.034

Q26. How willing would you be to have someone with a mental illness marry into your family?

2.29 (1.045)

2.49 (1.130)

< 0.05

Q27. How willing would you be to vote for a politician if you knew they had suffered a mental illness?

2.32 (1.191)

2.32 (1.282)

< 0.05

Q28. How willing would you be to employ someone if you knew they had a mental illness?

3.05 (1.051)

3.07 (1.078)

0.897

Factor 3: Recognition of disorders

Q1. If someone became extremely nervous or anxious… to what extent do you think it is likely they have Social Phobia?

3.27 (0.712)

3.17 (0.830)

< 0.05

Q2. If someone experienced excessive worry… to what extent do you think it is likely they have Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

3.60 (0.684)

3.44 (0.739)

< 0.05

Q3. If someone experienced a low mood for two or more weeks… to what extent do you think it is likely they have Major Depressive Disorder?

3.14 (0.783)

2.99 (0.837)

< 0.05

Q4. To what extent do you think it is likely that Personality Disorders are a category of mental illness?

3.32 (0.791)

3.11 (0.868)

< 0.05

Q5. To what extent do you think it is likely that Dysthymia is a disorder?

3.18 (0.798)

3.05 (0.842)

< 0.05

Q6. To what extent do you think it is likely that the diagnosis of Agoraphobia…?

2.94 (0.896)

2.84 (0.975)

< 0.05

Q7. To what extent do you think it is likely that the diagnosis of bipolar disorder…?

3.13 (0.868)

2.94 (0.909)

< 0.05

Q8. To what extent do you think it is likely that Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)…?

3.46 (0.747)

3.26 (0.838)

< 0.05

Q9. To what extent… mental health professional to break confidentiality: if you are at immediate risk of harm to yourself or others? ^*

1.56 (0.867)

1.77 (1.003)

< 0.05

Factor 4: Mental illness information-seeking

Q10. I am confident that I know where to seek information about in mental illness.

3.38 (1.133)

3.09 (1.111)

< 0.05

Q11. I am confident using the computer or telephone to seek information about mental illness.

3.64 (1.097)

3.64 (1.139)

0.316

Q12. I am confident attending face to face appointments to seek information about mental illness (e.g., seeing the GP).

3.54 (1.227)

3.67 (1.258)

< 0.05

Q13. I am confident I have access to resources (e.g., GP, internet, friends) that I can use to seek information about mental illness.

3.77 (1.098)

3.73 (1.111)

0.109

Overall mental health literacy (combined score of all factors)

93.18 (11.13)

94.93 (10.75)

0.16