The intersection of technology and mental health literacy in social work curriculum: implications for student well-being and professional practice

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Wysa application in enhancing mental health literacy and well-being among students pursuing social work. The primary objective was to determine whether the application could significantly improve these outcomes compared to a control group that did not use the app. A controlled experimental design was employed involving 200 fourth-year students from the social sciences faculty of a university. Mental health literacy was measured using the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS), while mental well-being was assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Both groups underwent assessments before and after the intervention, with data analyzed using SPSS, incorporating descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test due to non-normal data distribution. Results indicated significant improvement in well-being in the experimental group, evidenced by an increase in WEMWBS scores post-test, whereas no substantial changes were observed in the control group. Specifically, the mean WEMWBS score in the experimental group increased from 43.77 to 52.58, while scores in the control group remained relatively stable. However, there were no significant changes in MHLS scores in either group, suggesting that while the Wysa application effectively enhanced mental well-being, it did not notably impact mental health literacy.