The Psychometric Properties of the Multicomponent Mental Health Literacy Measure with a Sample of Student Athletes and Student Athletic Therapists

Abstract

Mental Health Literacy (MHL) refers to an individual’s knowledge and beliefs regarding mental health. MHL is related to a variety of important variables (e.g., help seeking and stigma) and has tremendous applied potential in a variety of contexts. The history of research on MHL has been characterized by challenges in developing valid and reliable measurement. Various concise, close-ended surveys have been created but concerns still exist regarding the generalizability of these scales. Thus, it has been recommended that testing take place within specific populations. The current study was designed to test the psychometric properties of the Multicomponent Mental Health Literacy Measure (MMHLM) with a sample of university student athletes and student athletic trainers. A total sample of 444 participants completed the MMHLM via a secure on-line survey site. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed that, with revisions, the 3-factor MMHLM was an excellent fit to the data (CFI = .931, RMSEA = 0.023, SRMR= 0.052). Subsequent analyses revealed that the level of MHL in this sample was roughly equivalent to the normative levels found in previous research; significant differences existed between genders, but not between student athletes and student trainers. The authors conclude that the revised version of the MMHLM possesses strong psychometric properties and can be used for future research with intercollegiate athletes and student athletic trainers.

Lay Summary: This study assessed the psychometric properties of The Multicomponent Mental Health Literacy Measure with a sample of collegiate student-athletes and student trainers. The revised MMHLM includes 14 items and can be used within sports contexts to measure mental health literacy of athletes and athletic trainers.