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Focus Groups Investigating Mental Health Attitudes and Beliefs of Parents and Teachers in South Lebanon: Are They Culturally Determined?

Introduction: The wars that Lebanon had endured led to a devastating number of deaths, injuries, and displacements. Such tragedies have detrimentally affected its civilians psychologically. Purpose: To identify knowledge, attitudes, and practices of teachers and parents concerning child/adolescent mental health. Method: Using purposeful sampling, five focus groups were conducted with teachers and parents of students from elementary, middle, and secondary levels in two private hub schools in South Lebanon. Results: A total of 27 teachers and 18 parents participated separately in focus groups. Three themes emerged: (a) Mental health care is a priority for overall health, (b) Mental illness is a cultural taboo, and (c) There is a need for better education and cultural understanding about mental health. Discussion: This is the first study in Lebanon directly targeted at parents’ and teachers’ mental health concerns. Such findings will add to transcultural nursing knowledge about the importance of mental health care.