Validation and reliability of the mental health literacy and stigma questionnaire among Malaysian young adolescents.

Sarbhan Singh¹*, Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki², Nik Daliana Nik Farid², Kushilpal Kaur³

1. Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Setia Alam, 40170 Selangor, Malaysia

2. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3. Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Selayang, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 68100 Selangor, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: Sarbhan Singh, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia, Setia Alam, 40170 Selangor, Malaysia, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CITATION: Singh S, Ahmad Zaki R, Nik Farid ND, Kaur K. Validation and reliability of the mental health literacy and stigma questionnaire among Malaysian young adolescents. International Medical Research Journal. 2021 Jun;7(1):46–59.

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ABSTRACT
The Mental Health Literacy and Stigma (MHLS) questionnaire has been widely used to assess Mental Health Literacy (MHL) among different populations. This instrument has been validated internationally, however to date, the validation of this questionnaire in young adolescents has yet to be conducted in Malaysia. This study aims to provide evidence of the reliability and validity of the MHLS questionnaire among Malaysian adolescents. A total of 65 students aged 12-14 years old from two public secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur participated in this study. The MHLS questionnaire underwent forward and backward translation, content validity, and pre-test process prior to reliability and validity. The data was analysed using Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Internal consistency was measured by Cronbach’s alpha and the reliability analysis was assessed using kappa statistic. The MHLS questionnaire demonstrated acceptable levels of Content Validity Index (CVI), Cronbach’s alpha, and kappa values across all constructs. The Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.52 to 0.76 across all constructs. Kappa values for the majority of items (60%) indicated a moderate level of agreement (0.41 and above). The MHLS questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to examine MHL among young adolescents in Malaysia.

KEYWORDS: Mental health literacy and stigma, validation, adolescents