Early-intervention public health education programs have been effective at teaching a skillset to help others. However, some of these programs... Show moreEarly-intervention public health education programs have been effective at teaching a skillset to help others. However, some of these programs have also been criticized for delivering more information than is necessary to learn the skill. Receiving too much information could cause information overload and interfere with program goals. The current study investigated the differential effect on outcomes of two trainings: (i) a standard training with lecture material about depression and anxiety (illness-information), and a skillset to guide interpersonal support for someone with depression and anxiety (skill-information); and (ii) a targeted training that omitted the lecture material and only presented the skillset. Predicted outcomes were that the combination of illness-information and skill-information in the standard training would result in information overload and would interfere with skill-information recall and attitude change. The current study also investigated two variables that could influence outcomes: general information overload about mental health (MHIO) and interest in the topic of mental health. Results were that participants in the standard training endorsed significantly more information overload and performed significantly better on recall measures than participants in the targeted training. Both trainings were effective at attitude change. Finally, preexisting MHIO was associated with training information overload, care seeking, and skill-information recall. Preexisting topic interest was associated with skill-information recall. Results suggest that some background lecture material might be necessary to learn how to support someone with depression and anxiety. Also, programs that promote interpersonal support are effective at attitude change no matter how much information they provide. Show less
