Mental health literacy among resident physicians in Türkiye: a neglected competency in medical training?

BACKGROUND

Mental health literacy (MHL) is an essential but often overlooked competency in medical training. Deficits in MHL among physicians may compromise both patient care and physician well-being.

METHODS

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 305 resident physicians at Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine. Data were collected using the 22-item Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS). Group differences were analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA, with effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) reported.

RESULTS

The mean MHLS score was 16.86 ± 2.88 (range: 0-22). Female residents scored higher than males (mean difference: 0.9; 95% CI: 0.2-1.6; d = 0.31). Unmarried residents had higher scores than married peers (mean difference: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.1-1.5; d = 0.28). Internal medicine residents achieved higher total scores compared to surgical residents (mean difference: 1.2; 95% CI: 0.2-2.2; η² ≈ 0.02). Psychiatry residents, including child and adolescent psychiatry, scored significantly higher in the resource subscale only (mean difference: 1.0; 95% CI: 0.2-1.8; d = 0.32). Other variables such as income level, chronic illness, or having a relative with mental illness showed no significant associations.

CONCLUSIONS

Resident physicians' mental health literacy differed across demographic and specialty-related subgroups, with female, unmarried, and childless residents showing higher levels. Variation across specialties and training years suggests that both educational and experiential factors may play a role. These findings underscore the importance of integrating structured, specialty-inclusive educational strategies into residency training to address identified gaps.