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BackgroundDepression is a common disorder in adolescents and young adults, but help seeking is low. Mental health literacy about depression is a key concept to plan interventions for improving help seeking. This study aimed to evaluate youth mental literacy about depression in order to design school-based interventions.MethodsDuring 2012, a survey was conducted with a stratified cluster sample of 4938 Portuguese young people between 14 and 24 years of age. Following the presentation of a vignette describing depression, a series of questions was asked concerning: recognition of the disorder; knowledge of professional help and treatments available; knowledge of effective self-help strategies; knowledge and skills to give first aid and support to others; and knowledge of how to prevent this disorder.ResultsIn response to an open-ended question, around a quarter of the participants failed to recognize depression in the vignette. When asked about the potential helpfulness of various people, most of the participants considered mental health professionals, family and friends to be helpful. However, teachers, social workers and a helpline were less likely to be considered as helpful. With regard to medications, vitamins received more positive views than psychotropics. Some interventions were frequently rated as likely to be helpful, whereas for others there was a lack of knowledge about their effectiveness. A positive finding is that alcohol and tobacco consumption were seen as harmful. When asked about mental health first aid strategies, participants supported the value of listening to the person in the vignette and advising professional help, but some unhelpful strategies were commonly endorsed as well.ConclusionDeficits were found in some aspects of depression literacy in Portuguese youth. Therefore intervention in this area is needed.

Health literacy, a more complex concept than knowledge, is a required capacity to obtain, understand, integrate and act on health information [1], in order to enhance individual and community health, which is defined by different levels, according to the autonomy and personal capacitation in decision making [2]. Medium levels of Health literacy in an adolescent population were found in a study conducted in 2013/2014, being higher in sexual and reproductive health and lower in substance use. It was also noticed that the higher levels of health literacy were in the area adolescents refer to have receipt more health information. The health literacy competence with higher scores was communication skills, and the lower scores were in the capacity to analyze factors that influence health. Higher levels were also found in younger teenagers, but in a higher school level, confirming the importance of health education in these age and development stage. Adolescents seek more information in health professionals and parents, being friends more valued as a source information in older adolescents, which enhance the importance of peer education mainly in older adolescents [3]. As a set of competences based on knowledge, health literacy should be developed through education interventions, encompassing the cultural and social context of individuals, since the society, culture and education system where the individual is inserted can define the way the development and enforcement of the health literacy competences [4]. The valued sources of information should be taken into account, as well as needs of information in some topics referred by adolescents in an efficient health education. Schizophrenia is a serious and chronic mental illness which has a profound effect on the health and well-being related with the well-known nature of psychotic symptoms. The exercise has the potential to improve the life of people with schizophrenia improving physical health and alleviating psychiatric symptoms. However, most people with schizophrenia remains sedentary and lack of access to exercise programs are barriers to achieve health benefits. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of exercise on I) the type of intervention in mental health, II) in salivary levels of alpha-amylase and cortisol and serum levels of S100B and BDNF, and on III) the quality of life and selfperception of the physical domain of people with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 31 females in long-term institutions in the Casa de Saúde Rainha Santa Isabel, with age between 25 and 63, and with diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Physical fitness was assessed by the six-minute walk distance test (6MWD). Biological variables were determined by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). Psychological variables were assessed using SF-36, PSPP-SCV, RSES and SWLS tests. Walking exercise has a positive impact on physical fitness (6MWD -p = 0.001) and physical components of the psychological test...

Nursing education will play an important role in further advancing healthcare transformation in the future. The aim of this study was to assess and compare nursing education and self-reported professional competence among nursing students graduating with a bachelor's degree from higher education institutions in Europe. Data were collected using the Nurse Professional Competence Scale including 88 items and eight competence areas. In total, 752 nursing students at 11 higher education institutions in Europe participated in the study, with a response rate of 88.7%. The highest measured mean scores were found in the competence areas ‘Value-based nursing care’ and ‘Medical technical care’ and the lowest were found in ‘Legislation in nursing and safety planning’ and ‘Education and supervision of staff and students’. Nursing students in central Europe scored significantly higher on seven out of the eight competence areas than nursing students in northern and southern Europe. In order to standardize and further develop nursing education in Europe, the assessment of nursing-related competences is of crucial importance.

Aim: Describe levels of depression, anxiety and stress among users of an urban/rural health centre, analyse sex differences and comorbidity between depression, anxiety and stress.Method: Descriptive co-relational study with a Portuguese version of DASS-21; consecutive sample (n=343). Results: 40.52%, 43.48% and 45.06% of individuals present some degree of depression, anxiety and of stress, respectively. Severe or very severe levels of disturbance were found in 20.87% (anxiety), 22.38% (stress) and 12.24% (depression) of individuals. Women present higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress. Depression, Anxiety and Stress are strongly and positively associated. Conclusion: These results show high point prevalence -higher than in other countries -and reveal differences in sex as well as comorbidity. They may allow for the development of a local and community intervention strategy for mental health promotion and disease prevention, particularly for women. forte e positivamente associados. Esses resultados apontam para elevada prevalência -mais alta que em outros países -e revelam diferenças de sexo e comorbilidade. Com base neles, poder-se-á desenvolver estratégia de intervenção local e comunitária para a promoção da saúde mental e prevenção da doença, particularizando as mulheres.Descritores: Depression; Anxiety; Primary Health Care. Depresión, ansiedad y estrés en usuarios de cuidados primarios de saludLos objetivos de este estudio fueron: describir niveles de depresión, ansiedad y estrés de los usuarios de un centro de salud urbana/rural, analizar diferencias de género y la comorbilidad entre depresión, ansiedad y estrés. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo correlacional aplicando una versión portuguesa de la DAS-21 en una muestra consecutiva (n=343). Se constató algún grado de depresión, ansiedad y estrés en 40,52%, 43,48% y 45,06% de los individuos, respectivamente. Se identificaron niveles graves o muy graves de ansiedad en 20,87% de los individuos, de estrés en 22,38% y de depresión en 12,24%. Las mujeres presentaron niveles promedios de depresión, ansiedad y de estrés más elevados. La depresión, la ansiedad y el estrés están fuertemente y positivamente asociados. Se concluye que estos resultados apuntan para una elevada prevalenciamás alta que en otros países -y revelan diferencias de género y comorbilidad. Con base en los hallazgos, se podrá desarrollar una estrategia de intervención local y comunitaria para la promoción de la salud mental y prevención de la enfermedad, particularmente de las mujeres.