Negative psychosocial experiences including community attitudes toward mental illness and discrimination, as well as sociodemographic factors including age and multiple income sources, had statistically significant negative associations with mental health literacy among Black Canadians in Ontario.
Key Findings
Results
All independent factors in the regression model jointly contributed at a statistically significant level to variation in mental health literacy among the study population.
The overall model was statistically significant (X2 = 360.11, p < .001)
335 Black people of African descent participated in this cross-sectional study
Participants included 175 women, 156 men, and four persons of other gender identities
The study was conducted in Ontario, Canada using multiple linear regression analysis
Results
Age had a statistically significant negative association with mental health literacy, such that being older by one year correlated with a reduced MHL score.
β = -0.27, CI = -0.42, -0.12, p < .001
Being older by one year correlated with a reduced MHL score by 0.27 units
Age was one of two sociodemographic variables with independent statistically significant association with mental health literacy
Results
Having multiple income sources had a statistically significant negative association with mental health literacy compared to having a single income source.
β = -6.91, CI: -13.04, -0.78; p < .05
Having multiple income sources relative to having one income source correlated with reduced mental health literacy by 6.91 units
Multiple income sources was one of two sociodemographic variables with independent statistically significant association with mental health literacy
Results
Community attitudes toward mental illness (CAMI) had the strongest statistically significant negative association with mental health literacy among all psychosocial variables.
β = -0.51; CI = -0.56, -0.45; p < .001
A unit increase in CAMI score correlated with a 0.51 unit decrease in MHL score
CAMI was among three psychosocial variables with independent statistically significant associations with mental health literacy
Results
Discrimination (DAS) had a statistically significant negative association with mental health literacy among Black Canadians.
β = -0.08; CI = -0.15, -0.01; p < .05
A unit increase in DAS score correlated with a 0.08 unit decrease in MHL score
DAS was one of three psychosocial variables with independent statistically significant associations with mental health literacy
Adu J, Wong J, Boakye P, Etowa E, Gyamfi S, Owusu M. (2026). Effects of negative psychosocial experiences and sociodemographic factors on mental health literacy: A community-based inquiry among Black Canadians.. Archives of psychiatric nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2025.152026