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Evaluation of the Mental Healthiness Aging Initiative: Community Program to Promote Awareness About Mental Health and Aging Issues

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the Mental Healthiness Aging Initiative, designed to promote community awareness and knowledge about mental health and aging issues. This study occurred during 2007–2009 in 67 of 120 counties in Kentucky. A rural region (11 counties) received the intervention, consisting of focus groups, Extension Agent training, and television-based social marketing campaign. Partial-intervention counties (29 counties) received only the television-based social marketing campaign. The control counties (27 counties) received no intervention activities. Results indicated that the intervention counties agreed more with being able to assist elder adults with a potential mental illness. Also, the intervention counties understood the risk of consuming alcohol and medications better, but had a poorer recognition of drinking problems in elder adults. These findings need to be considered within study limitations, such as measurement error, degree of intervention exposure, and regional differences across intervention groups. The study demonstrates that community interventions on mental health awareness and knowledge are feasible within majority rural regions, with Extension Agents being gatekeepers, for promoting positive messages about mental health and aging issues.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the USDA:CSREE to Debbie Murray and Faika Zanjani (2007-46100-03962), the Research Trust Challenge Grant awarded to the Graduate Center for Gerontology at the University of Kentucky, and (NIDA 5K12 DA014040) to Thomas Curry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Center for Gerontology, University of Kentucky, 900 S Limestone, 306b Wethington Health Sciences Bldg, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA

    Faika Zanjani & Tina Kruger

  2. Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health, Lexington, USA

    Faika Zanjani

  3. Health Education through Extension Leadership (HEEL), School of Human Environmental Sciences/FCS, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

    Deborah Murray

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  1. Faika Zanjani
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  2. Tina Kruger
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Correspondence to Faika Zanjani.

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Zanjani, F., Kruger, T. & Murray, D. Evaluation of the Mental Healthiness Aging Initiative: Community Program to Promote Awareness About Mental Health and Aging Issues. Community Ment Health J 48, 193–201 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9373-1

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