At the most basic level, mental health literacy is linked to general literacy. Problems with general literacy are prevalent in the developed world, where it has been estimated that 100 million people are functionally illiterate. Footnote 155 In Canada, four out of ten adults, representing nine million Canadians, struggle with low literacy, Footnote 156 and sixty per cent of immigrants have low literacy. Footnote 157
Improving functional mental health literacy is expected to result in improvements in the capacity to understand mental health risks and mental health services, and to comply with treatment, but it does not involve skill development, interactive communication or supportive interventions to build empowerment for informed choice. Footnote 158
Addressing issues of general literacy is critical to enhancing mental health literacy, and to increasing the overall health and quality of life for people in all societies. Footnote 159 All information, including reading materials, posters and signage, must be provided at literacy levels that will reach the broadest audience, i.e. in plain writing. Footnote 160 Mental health care providers must be aware of the issue and prepared to individualize care for and assist persons who have low literacy levels. Footnote 161 Where literacy levels are very low, innovative approaches are required, such as creating awareness among school children and their teachers, so they become the messenger force in their communities. Footnote 162
Enhancing interactive mental health literacy focuses on building personal skill and knowledge, and is expected to result in an increased personal capacity to act on knowledge. Footnote 163 Effective health communication strategies including public education and social marketing initiatives, support skill development and informed choice. These can engage people within the context of existing individual and cultural beliefs, as they provide information for people to think about, rather than telling them what to think. Footnote 164 They would involve education to advance understanding at all levels: how to prevent mental health problems, how to intervene early, and how to manage a mental disorder. Footnote 165 New technologies offer new opportunities for wide dissemination of information for individual use. Footnote 166
Mental health care providers can facilitate the development of interactive mental health literacy by developing partnerships with clients and supporting informed choice. Footnote 167
Return to note 155 Kickbusch, 2001
Return to note 156 ABC Canada, 2005a
Return to note 157 ABC Canada, 2005b
Return to note 158 Nutbeam, 2000
Return to note 159 Kickbusch, 2001
Return to note 160 Black, 2002; Hixon, 2004
Return to note 161 Hixon, 2004
Return to note 162 Mubbashar and Farooq, 2001
Return to note 163 Nutbeam 2000
Return to note 164 Ratzan, 2001
Return to note 165 Ratzan, 2001
Return to note 166 Ratzan, 2001
Return to note 167 Bauman et al, 2003