Depression Literacy and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help Among a Sample of Teachers in Jazan City, Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, a country of more than 33 million, almost 4.5 % have depression. Adequate mental health literacy has been proposed as one intervention to address the burden of depression. Given the significant role teachers play in society, this study aims to investigate the depression literacy level among teachers in Saudi Arabia. The study also aims to examine a possible association between depression literacy and attitudes toward seeking professional help. An online self-administrated anonymous survey was distributed to 246 teachers through their schools’ leaders. A positive relationship between the level of depression literacy and attitude toward seeking professional help for teachers, (r = .281, n = 159, p < .05) was found. Also, a higher level of attitude toward seeking professional help was associated with being male (r = -.161, n = 159, p < .05). The study findings indicate the importance of having educational mental health programs for teachers.