Network analysis of mental health literacy: beliefs, recognition and attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia in Ghana / <i>Un análisis de redes sobre la alfabetización en salud mental: creencias, reconocimiento y actitudes hacia la depresión y

Internationally, research on mental health literacy (MHL) is increasing. However, the complex interplay between MHL components is not fully understood due to methodological limitations. We aimed to investigate the reciprocal links between beliefs, recognition ability and attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia in Ghana using the novel network analysis approach. A total of 410 participants from the general population of Ghana were included in a vignette-based study focusing on the Western concepts of depression and schizophrenia. Participants provided their impressions of a hypothetical person described in a vignette depicting either the Western concept of depression or schizophrenia symptoms. They then completed a set of validated MHL instruments, along with providing demographic information. Our findings indicated that spiritual causal attribution was the most influential variable in the network model for depression, whereas personal stigma emerged as the variable with the greatest impact in the model for schizophrenia. There was a reciprocal link between personal stigma and psychosocial causal attributions across the mental disorders and religiosity was positively linked to seeking professional help for these disorders. There was a bidirectional link between help-seeking preferences and causal attributions across the two disorders. Spiritual causal attributions were inversely related to professional help-seeking for both disorders. These findings emphasize the intricate interconnections between beliefs and attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia. Uncovering cultural and belief systems that are not explicitly expressed, as well as addressing stigma and incorporating the Western nosology of mental disorders, could promote mental well-being.