Background/Objectives: A pilot study was conducted with an aim to evaluate the effectiveness of video-assisted teaching program (VATP) on knowledge and attitude regarding screening of mental illnesses among leaders of women self-help groups in selected blocks of Tiruchirappalli District. Methods: A true experimental design (pretest posttest control group) was chosen with the scope of improving the internal validity of the study. Multistage random sampling was used to select a sample of 30 participants, 15 each in experimental and control groups. VATP regarding screening of mental illnesses was developed by the investigator and validated by the experts. Sociodemographic profile, a checklist to assess the participants' experience with mentally ill patients, a structured knowledge questionnaire, a set of case vignettes, and community attitudes toward Mentally Ill-III (CAMI-III) was used for data collection. Pretest was conducted to measure the baseline variables, then VATP on screening of mental illnesses was delivered, and the posttest was administered at three points, that is, immediately after VATP to assess the extent to which the participants have learnt the information, 15 days after VATP to assess the level of retention of the learnt information and 45 days after VATP to measure the outcomes of the study. Results: A comparison of posttest mean score differences between the groups revealed that the participants of the experimental group made a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001) in the knowledge and attitude than those of control group. Comparison of pretest and posttest mean scores within the experimental group showed that the VATP has made a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001) in knowledge and attitude. Conclusions: Innovative and realistic teaching strategies to be initiated to improve mental health literacy among the general population.
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