Background: The risk rate for the lifetime prevalence of any mental disorder is 50%, and the prevalence of mental disorders is increasing. This study aimed to evaluate the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) in Iranian people.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with a multi-stage sampling method with the participation of 1273 people in the general population. After searching and reviewing various sources, the research team decided to use the questionnaire of MHLS with 35 items and 6 attributes that measured and developed by O'Connor et al. The face, content, and construct validity (Confirmatory factor analysis) were used for validation of MHLS. McDonald’s omega coefficient and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were used to calculate the reliability of MHLS. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed using AMOS software Version 24.Results: In the CFA test, the six items were deleted and the final modified version of the MHLS included a total of 29 items with six attributes consisted of (a) knowledge of where to seek information (4 items), (b) ability to recognize disorders (8 items), (c) knowledge of self-treatment (2 items), (d) knowledge of risk factors and causes (2 items), (e) attitudes that promote recognition or appropriate help-seeking behavior (10 items), and (f) knowledge of professional help available (3 items). Based on the results of reliability, McDonald’s omega and Cronbach's alpha for all attributes of MHLS were 0.797 and 0.789 respectively.Conclusion: Due to the lack of appropriate instruments for measuring mental health literacy in the Iranian population, the modified version of MHLS with 29 items and 6 attributes is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring mental health literacy in the public population.
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