Augmenting mental health literacy of troops in a large military station: A novel approach.

BACKGROUND: Mental health literacy (MHL) helps in acknowledging the symptoms at an early stage, thus promoting prompt management of negative stress behaviors. Despite the central thrust towards augmentation of MHL of troops, there is a paucity of available literature on the subject matter, especially in the Indian context. Current research explores the efficacy of a standardized Information Education and Communication (IEC) module for the promotion of MHL among troops.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1200 soldiers posted in a large military station underwent a psycho-educational module about stress and related mental health conditions in an open-label experimental study. Data was collected using a simple demographic tool and a specially constructed Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) mental health awareness questionnaire. The same sample was studied before the IEC activity, immediately after the IEC activity, and again after six months.

RESULTS: Community-based psycho-educational module helped in improvement in MHL and the gains were stable at six months.

CONCLUSIONS: Well-standardized and structured module was found to be an effective strategy for improving MHL. The authors consider this study as seminal for bringing objectivity to mental health promotional programs in the Armed Forces.