Why Mental Health Literacy Matters

Nearly 90% of adults in the United States struggle with health literacy, according to the Center for Health Care Strategies. It’s crucial to remember that mental health is just as essential as physical health, and each has a significant impact on the other. When someone’s mental health literacy is low, their overall health can suffer.

Health promotion and education play a vital role in increasing mental health literacy. With a bachelor’s degree in health education, graduates can help pave the way for greater health literacy in the future.

What Is Health Literacy?

Health literacy is defined as the ability to access, comprehend, and use available resources to inform health-related decisions. It includes being able to use health-related technology, such as patient portals, and effectively communicate with health care professionals and providers.

What Is Mental Health Literacy?

Mental health literacy is a specific subsection of health literacy that applies to recognizing, managing, and preventing mental disorders through awareness and accessing resources. Key components of mental health literacy include the ability to:

Recognize specific types of mental disorders
Comprehend risk factors for and causes of mental disorders
Apply self-help interventions
Access professional psychiatric help
Find mental health information

The desire to seek professional help when needed is also crucial.

There has been a growing movement to expand the definition of mental health literacy to go beyond mental disorders and focus on mental health in general, as more and more research shows that supporting positive mental health has long-term health and well-being benefits. The updated definition, proposed by Francisco Sampaio and colleagues in a 2022 research paper on the evolution of mental health literacy, includes as key components the ability to:

Establish and maintain positive mental health
Solve complex problems to achieve self-actualization
Develop personal satisfaction
Establish autonomy over one’s life and decisions
Build healthy interpersonal relationships
Maintain self-control
Form social bonds from a prosocial attitude

3 Reasons Why Mental Health Literacy Is Essential

Mental and physical health are intertwined. Mental health literacy is not only crucial for the mind but also for the body, and has far-reaching consequences. The following reasons only scratch the surface of why mental health literacy matters.

1. Reduces Preventable Health Conditions

Extensive research has shown that people with poor mental health or untreated mental disorders are more likely to have preventable health problems. For instance, a 2023 study published by Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine revealed that people who have been diagnosed with depression have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, with clinical studies finding that between 17% and 27% of cardiovascular disease patients have depression.

It’s worth noting that this relationship can be cyclical: a person diagnosed with depression is more likely to be diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease, and being diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease makes a person more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Without mental health literacy, individuals may struggle to free themselves from this cycle.

Someone doesn’t have to be diagnosed with a mental disorder for their mental well-being to increase their risk of physical illness. Other mental health issues are also linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular health problems. For instance, experiencing social isolation increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke by 30%, according to the American Heart Association. Social struggles affecting physical health demonstrate that mental health literacy isn’t just a personal health issue — it’s a community health issue.

2. Decreases Physical Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders

Many people with mental health disorders or other issues experience physical symptoms. For example, anxiety can cause a fast or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, headaches, chest pains, loss of appetite, increased sweating, difficulty breathing, and tremors. By being able to access, understand, and use mental health resources, people with anxiety can target their symptoms, both psychological and physical.

3. Combats and Addresses Mental Health Issues

Beyond physical symptoms, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression can lead to an inability to relax, excessive worry, insomnia, and obsessive or intrusive thoughts. They can also drastically change behavior, including being unable to care for oneself, loss of important relationships, and compulsive behaviors.

When someone increases their mental health literacy, they have the power to use self-help tools and resources to improve their lives. They’re also more likely to find and use professional help when they need it.

Create a Brighter Future for Mental Health Literacy

Health education and promotion help increase health literacy. Promotion helps make people aware of the available services that can improve their health and prevent potential health issues. Health education works in tandem to make sure that people not only have access to these resources but also have the knowledge to use them.

With NCCU’s online Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education Flight Path Program, students can prepare to make a difference in the future of mental health literacy. This public health degree equips students with the knowledge and skills to build healthier communities in a variety of health promotion positions.

Students learn how to identify health issues and develop strategies to address growing concerns. They come away with skills that prepare them for both public health and health administration roles, with the health background needed for public health roles and the technical skills required for administrative positions.

Find out how you can contribute to a health-literate future with a degree from NCCU Online.

Recommended Readings

Why Is Health Education Important?

What Is a Health Educator?

What Is Community Health?

Sources:

American Heart Association, Mental Health and Heart Health

American Heart Association, Social Isolation and Loneliness Increase the Risk of Death from Heart Attack, Stroke

Center for Health Care Strategies, Health Literacy Fact Sheets

Center for Health Care Strategies, How Improving Health Literacy Can Advance Health Equity

Center for Health Care Strategies, What Is Health Literacy?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Understanding Health Literacy