MHLq scores among students.

Mental health literacy is crucial for nursing students to deliver effective patient care; however, its development throughout their academic journey remains underexplored. This study aimed to assess mental health literacy among nursing students in the UAE and examine factors influencing their literacy levels. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2024 to August 2024 using convenience sampling. A total of 295 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study. Data were collected using the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MHLq) and analyzed using SPSS software (version 24). Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to calculate means, standard deviations, percentages, and measures of association using t-tests for students’ sociodemographic variables, dimensions, and global scores, with a significance level of 0.05 for the tests. The findings indicated that participants (all female, with a mean age of 20.7 ± 1.85 years) had a mean MHLq score of 108.19 ± 10.53. Fourth-year students scored higher (110.78 ± 9.79) than lower-year students (106.85 ± 10.68). Students with family or friends who were affected had higher scores (48.00 ± 6.16) than those without (45.97 ± 6.16). The highest-scoring domain was knowledge of mental health problems (46.59 ± 6.40), while self-help strategies scored lowest (16.99 ± 2.61). Students with a personal history of mental illness had lower scores. The study also indicated a statistically significant association between students’ marital status, their level of study, and their first-aid skills and help-seeking behavior. The study highlights the importance of integrating mental health literacy into undergraduate nursing curricula to enhance student’s ability to provide patient-centered care for individuals with mental health disorders. Implementing targeted educational strategies focusing on awareness, recognition, and communication may strengthen students’ competency and preparedness for mental health care practice.

心理健康素养（mental health literacy）对于护理专业学生提供高效的患者照护至关重要，但在其学业生涯中该素养的发展情况尚未得到充分探索。本研究旨在评估阿拉伯联合酋长国（UAE）护理专业学生的心理健康素养水平，并探究影响其素养发展的相关因素。本研究于2024年2月至2024年8月开展，采用便利抽样法，为定量横断面研究。共计295名本科护理专业学生参与了本次研究。研究数据通过心理健康素养问卷（Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire, MHLq）收集，并采用SPSS软件（版本24）进行分析。本研究采用描述性与推断性统计分析方法，计算均数、标准差、百分比及关联程度指标；针对学生的社会人口学变量、各维度得分与总体得分，采用t检验进行统计学分析，检验显著性水平设定为0.05。研究结果显示，所有参与者均为女性，平均年龄为20.7±1.85岁，其心理健康素养问卷总得分为108.19±10.53。四年级学生的得分（110.78±9.79）高于低年级学生（106.85±10.68）。有家人或朋友曾受精神健康问题影响的学生得分（48.00±6.16）高于无此类经历的学生（45.97±6.16）。得分最高的维度为精神健康问题相关知识（46.59±6.40），而自助策略维度得分最低（16.99±2.61）。曾有个人精神疾病史的学生得分相对更低。本研究同时发现，学生的婚姻状况、学业阶段、急救技能与求助行为之间存在统计学意义上的显著关联。本研究强调，需将心理健康素养纳入本科护理课程体系，以提升学生为精神障碍患者提供以患者为中心的照护服务的能力。实施以认知提升、问题识别与沟通技巧为核心的针对性教育策略，可强化学生在精神健康照护实践中的胜任力与从业准备度。