Examination of Mental Health Status, Mental Health–related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours among the Working Population in Hong Kong

Abstract

Objectives: People’s socio-demographic background, previous contact with people with mental illnesses, and mental health status affect their attitudes towards mental illnesses and utilisation of mental health services and vice versa. This study aimed to examine (1) the level of knowledge about mental health issues, and (2) how are beliefs, attitudes, and reported and intended behaviour related to the working population’s mental health status breakdown by the industries that they were in. Methods: Telephone survey with a probable sample was conducted. Participants were recruited and telephoneinterviewed by the Social Science Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong. Attitudes, knowledge, and reported and intended behaviour towards mental illnesses were measured by scales being used in the UK Department of Health Attitudes to Mental Illness survey. The mental health status was measured by the Case-finding and Help Assessment Tool (CHAT) developed in New Zealand. Results: A total of 1013 participants joined the study. Of them, 653 (58.1%) were male; 55.5% of the participants had matriculation or higher level of education; 77.1% of the participants’ income were HKD10,000 or above. They mostly worked in the construction (11.3%), finance, insurance, estate, and other commercial services (15.6%), transport (11.8), and community, social and personal services industries. Those who worked in the manufacturing, construction, and hotel and restaurant industries had the higher mean scores of the CHAT. Using multinomial regression analysis, knowledge, attitude, and reported behaviours towards mental illness seem to have different impacts on participants’ mental health status in various disciplines. Conclusions: The findings inform what strategies may be unutilised to improve the mental health status of the working population in different industries.