Objectives
To study the level of mental health literacy and quality of life among patients with
stroke and to investigate the relationship between mental health literacy and quality of life.
Methods
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 150 purposively selected stroke
patients at Sanpasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. Data were collected from October 2019 to March 2020. The research tool consisted of 3 parts: general and clinical data, a mental
health literacy questionnaire, and the Thai version of the stroke-specific quality of life scale. Data
were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.
Results
The mean age of participants was 51.80 years (SD 8.62); most were female (65.33%). The
level of mental health literacy among patients with stroke was moderate (mean = 3.05, SD = 0.21).
The quality of life among patients with stroke was moderate (mean = 3.06, SD = 0.66). The mental
health literacy questionnaire yielded a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.92, and the Thai version of
the stroke-specific quality of life scale yielded a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.96. Mental health
literacy was statistically significantly associated with quality of life among patients with stroke (r =
0.484, p< .001).
Conclusions
The mental health literacy among patients with stroke was moderate as was their quality
of life. Mental health literacy was significantly associated with quality of life among patients with
stroke. This suggests that emphasizing and promoting mental health literacy among patients with
stroke can improve and increase their quality of life.
Chiang Mai Medical Journal 2021;60(1):63-74.
doi 10.12982/CMUMEDJ.2021.06
Keywords: mental health literacy, quality of life, stroke