Objectives: Depression affects 23.3% of Thai and 15.2% of Vietnamese health science students, rates that exceed the global average of 4.4%. This study compared the causal models of mental health literacy and helping behavior toward individuals at risk of depression between these 2 groups. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2023 to October 2023 and included 422 students from Thailand and Vietnam, who were studying medicine, nursing, psychology, and physical therapy. Stratified random sampling was used to select 211 students from each country. Data collection was performed using a Likert scale, which showed total-item correlations ranging from 0.24 to 0.83 and Cronbach’s alpha values between 0.74 and 0.86. The data were analyzed using a structural equation model. Results: The causal models were consistent with the empirical data. The helping behavior of students toward peers at risk of depression was significantly influenced by their mental health literacy (effect size [ES], 0.91). This influence was also mediated indirectly by self-efficacy (ES, 0.18), positive attitudes (ES, 0.29), and social support (ES, 0.77). Collectively, these factors accounted for 83% of the variance in helping behavior. Social support had a more pronounced effect on mental health literacy among Vietnamese students than among their Thai counterparts (ES, 0.46 vs. 0.27, p<0.05). Conversely, positive attitudes had a stronger influence among Thai students than among Vietnamese students (ES, 0.17 vs. 0.01, p<0.05). Conclusions The causal models of helping behavior among Thai and Vietnamese health science students exhibited no significant differences. However, improving mental health literacy is crucial, as it significantly impacts helping behavior.

Objectives: Depression affects 23.3% of Thai and 15.2% of Vietnamese health science students, rates that exceed the global average of 4.4%. This study compared the causal models of mental health literacy and helping behavior toward individuals at risk of depression between these 2 groups. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2023 to October 2023 and included 422 students from Thailand and Vietnam, who were studying medicine, nursing, psychology, and physical therapy. Stratified random sampling was used to select 211 students from each country. Data collection was performed using a Likert scale, which showed total-item correlations ranging from 0.24 to 0.83 and Cronbach’s alpha values between 0.74 and 0.86. The data were analyzed using a structural equation model. Results: The causal models were consistent with the empirical data. The helping behavior of students toward peers at risk of depression was significantly influenced by their mental health literacy (effect size [ES], 0.91). This influence was also mediated indirectly by self-efficacy (ES, 0.18), positive attitudes (ES, 0.29), and social support (ES, 0.77). Collectively, these factors accounted for 83% of the variance in helping behavior. Social support had a more pronounced effect on mental health literacy among Vietnamese students than among their Thai counterparts (ES, 0.46 vs. 0.27, p<0.05). Conversely, positive attitudes had a stronger influence among Thai students than among Vietnamese students (ES, 0.17 vs. 0.01, p<0.05). Conclusions The causal models of helping behavior among Thai and Vietnamese health science students exhibited no significant differences. However, improving mental health literacy is crucial, as it significantly impacts helping behavior.

Objectives: Depression affects 23.3% of Thai and 15.2% of Vietnamese health science students, rates that exceed the global average of 4.4%. This study compared the causal models of mental health literacy and helping behavior toward individuals at risk of depression between these 2 groups. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2023 to October 2023 and included 422 students from Thailand and Vietnam, who were studying medicine, nursing, psychology, and physical therapy. Stratified random sampling was used to select 211 students from each country. Data collection was performed using a Likert scale, which showed total-item correlations ranging from 0.24 to 0.83 and Cronbach’s alpha values between 0.74 and 0.86. The data were analyzed using a structural equation model. Results: The causal models were consistent with the empirical data. The helping behavior of students toward peers at risk of depression was significantly influenced by their mental health literacy (effect size [ES], 0.91). This influence was also mediated indirectly by self-efficacy (ES, 0.18), positive attitudes (ES, 0.29), and social support (ES, 0.77). Collectively, these factors accounted for 83% of the variance in helping behavior. Social support had a more pronounced effect on mental health literacy among Vietnamese students than among their Thai counterparts (ES, 0.46 vs. 0.27, p<0.05). Conversely, positive attitudes had a stronger influence among Thai students than among Vietnamese students (ES, 0.17 vs. 0.01, p<0.05). Conclusions The causal models of helping behavior among Thai and Vietnamese health science students exhibited no significant differences. However, improving mental health literacy is crucial, as it significantly impacts helping behavior.

Objectives: The effectiveness and efficiency of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in reducing the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) relies on how widely it is adopted and adhered to, particularly among high-risk groups of MSM. The meta-analysis aimed to collect and analyze existing evidence on various factors related to PrEP adherence in MSM, including demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, substance use, and psychosocial factors. Methods: The meta-analysis followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The search included articles published between January 2018 and December 2022, obtained from the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases. The studies that were included in the analysis reported the proportion of MSM who demonstrated adherence to PrEP and underwent quality appraisal using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: Of the 268 studies initially identified, only 12 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final meta-analysis. The findings indicated that education (odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 2.40), number of sexual partners (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.31), engaging in sexual activities with an human immunodeficiency virus-positive partner (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.26), substance use (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.99), and lower levels of depression (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.82) were associated with higher rates of PrEP adherence among MSM. Conclusions Despite these findings, further research is necessary to investigate PrEP adherence more comprehensively. The findings of this meta-analysis can be utilized to inform interventions aimed at improving PrEP adherence among MSM and provide directions for future research in this area.