Role of media literacy in improving mental health of Iranian population: a mixed method study

Introduction: One area that can be affected by the publication of media content is the mental health of population.The current research aimed to identify the role of media literacy in improving the mental health of Iranian society.Methods: This applied research was done in 2024 using a mixed method approach.The statistical population in the qualitative section included communication professors specializing in media literacy and psychology, while in the quantitative section included all citizens over 18 years old living in Tehran.In the qualitative part, the interviews and purposive sampling method were used to collect data, and thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data obtained from the interviews.In the quantitative part, a researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data, emplying a multi-stage random cluster sampling method to collect data.Finally, 384 questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and the Pearson correlation coefficient.Results: Teaching the methods for distinguishing true from fake news, injuries resulting from negative news, teaching how to face negative news, teaching media literacy from preschool to high school, and the development of multimedia skills have the highest frequency among the particiants.According to the quantitative results, the value of Pearson's statistic for "understanding the content of media messages", "the hidden goals of media messages", "the conscious selection of media messages", "a critical look at media messages", and "the analysis of media messages" were equal to 0.541, 0.577, 0.311, 0.533, and 0.420, respectively (P<0.0001).This indicates a significant relationship between the five dimensions of media messages and the improvement of mental health in Iranian society. Conclusion:The results show that as media literacy increases, the mental health of society also improves, and vice versa.Therefore, media literacy training should be prioritized in the field of mental health for society.Prioritizing this training not only enhances people's ability to recognize fake news and false content, but can also improve their mental health.