Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Bangla Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS‐Bangla) Among Undergraduate Nursing Students

ABSTRACT Background and Aims Mental health literacy (MHL) is a key determinant of help‐seeking behavior and the utilization of mental health services. Currently, no validated instrument is available in Bangladesh to assess MHL. This study aimed to culturally adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Bangla version of the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS‐Bangla). Methods Three tertiary care hospitals were purposively selected, and nursing students were randomly recruited. Data were collected through face‐to‐face administration in classroom settings ( N = 224). The MHLS was adapted using a standardized process including translation, synthesis, back‐translation, expert review, and pretesting. Results The MHLS‐Bangla comprises 35 items reflecting key domains of MHL: mental illness and treatment, mental health promotion, help‐seeking, stigma and attitude. Exploratory factor analysis using Principal Axis Factoring supported a four‐factor structure with acceptable sampling adequacy (KMO = 0.67; Bartlett's test p < 0.001), explaining 19.1% of the total variance. Most items loaded ≥ 0.30 on a single factor, with a small number showing weaker or cross‐loadings. Internal consistency for the total scale was acceptable ( α = 0.75; ω = 0.75). The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was not conducted due to sample size limitations. The mean MHL score was 19.78 (SD = 4.82) out of 35. Conclusion The MHLS‐Bangla provides a culturally adapted instrument with preliminary evidence of reliability and construct validity for assessing MHL in Bangladesh. Further validation in larger and more diverse populations is recommended to strengthen its psychometric robustness and broader applicability.