Mental Health Literacy among Medical Students in Zanzibar: A Cross-Sectional Assessment

Introduction: Mental illness poses a significant global health burden. Medical students, as future healthcare providers, play a crucial role in mental health service delivery, making their knowledge and attitudes toward mental illness essential for improving healthcare outcomes. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge about mental illness among medical students at the State University of Zanzibar. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 156 medical students at the State University of Zanzibar. A stratified random sampling method was employed, with stratification based on the year of study. Within each academic year, participants were selected using simple random sampling. Primary data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire adopted from the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS). The study’s dependent variables included knowledge about mental illness. Independent variables encompassed demographic factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic background; educational factors including year of study and exposure to mental health training; and personal experience. Results: The majority belonged to the 21–24 years age group (63.5%). There was a female predominance (62.2%), and the largest group was from the second year of study (39.1%). The study found that 92.3% of students demonstrated good knowledge of mental illness. However, female students showed significantly better knowledge, LR = 7.451 (p = 0.006). A majority of respondents correctly identified schizophrenia (82.7%), bipolar disorder (80.1%), and depression (84.6%) as mental illnesses. A substantial proportion (62.2%) incorrectly classified stress as a mental illness, and 54.5% did the same for grief. Conclusion: Medical students at the State University of Zanzibar possess high knowledge regarding mental illness; they were generally able to recognize major psychiatric disorders and acknowledged the role of psychotherapy and counselling. Notably, a significant number of respondents misclassified stress and grief as mental illnesses. Among the various socioeconomic factors analyzed, female gender was most strongly associated with better knowledge about mental health. Implementing educational intervention programs at the university level to address gaps in knowledge about mental illness is recommended.