RESUMO
Background: Dyslexia-a learning disorder characterized by difficulty in word-level reading skills-can negatively impact nursing students' practice, which can, in turn, affect patient safety. Individuals with dyslexia are often stigmatized. There is a need to explore dyslexia awareness among nursing students and its relationship with stigma in Saudi Arabia. Objective: This study aimed to assess the dyslexia awareness levels among nursing students and its relation to stigma. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on 154 nursing students at King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected by asking the students to virtually complete the Knowledge and Beliefs about Developmental Dyslexia Scale (KBDDS) and the Consciousness Questionnaire-Learning Disabilities (SCQ-LD) from February to March 2021. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests to test significance and Cramer's V to determine the strength of the relationships among the categorical variables. Results: The overall dyslexia awareness level was moderate. Most participants believed that people had negative assumptions about individuals with dyslexia and that they judged and treated them differently. A moderately strong positive association was revealed between knowledge of the stigma surrounding dyslexia and knowledge of dyslexia itself (p <0.001). Conclusions: Increased dyslexia awareness is correlated with greater anticipation that dyslexic individuals will be stigmatized. Therefore, dyslexia awareness should be raised among nursing students. Students or nurses with dyslexia should also be encouraged to learn appropriate coping strategies to ensure patient safety.
RESUMO
While young Saudi adults are reportedly prone to experiencing a variety of mental health problems, they tend to delay seeking mental health support. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators of seeking mental health support among young adults in Saudi Arabia. A qualitative research design was implemented using semi-structured interviews with 12 young adult participants in Saudi Arabia, recruited through social media platforms, and the interviews were then analyzed using thematic analysis. Two major themes emerged: barriers that impede the process of mental health help-seeking and facilitators that assist individuals in seeking mental health support. The barriers included public stigma and lack of awareness, unprofessional mental health practitioners, lack of accessibility to services and information, unsupportive families, intrapersonal dilemmas, and misconceptions based on religious beliefs. Facilitators of help-seeking included increasing societal and family awareness, promoting the accessibility of services, enhancing sources of external support, personal motivation to change, and online therapy. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of promoting mental health literacy among the Saudi public, particularly with regard to young adults and their unique mental health needs. Exploring facilitators and barriers may also assist mental health providers in developing tailored mental health campaigns and interventions directed at young adults.
