Mental Health Notes

Mental Health Month Day 24 - Brush Up On Your Health Literacy

by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes on May 24th, 2007

Let’s see how much you know about mental health and factors that can actually predict the status of a person’s mental health.

Choose which of the following factors you think is the most effective in predicting a person’s mental health status:

• Race/ethnicity
• Age
• Education
• Income
• Literacy skills
• Employment

If you chose literacy skills, you’re absolutely correct. And it’s deeper than just being able to read and write - it’s also being able to understand health-related information. In other words, it’s your health literacy.

According to The Partnership for Clear Health Communication, or PCHC, individuals are more likely to have trouble with their health if they aren’t able to read and understand things like prescription medication instructions and self-managed treatment materials. They’re also less likely to seek medical help when they suspect a problem, as well as less likely to ask the doctor questions if they don’t fully understand the steps they need to take to get well.

Having health literacy issues doesn’t mean you’re uneducated, too young or too old, or poor. You could be a 30-year-old millionaire attorney, and still have trouble understanding health material.

At the same time, issues such as shock, fear, and stress can impair your health literacy. It’s not shocking to imagine someone who has a stressful home life and has just been diagnosed with more than one health problem might have difficulty understanding what they must do to treat or manage the problems.

Today’s Mental Health Month tip? Brush up on your health literacy.

The PCHC has developed a program called Ask Me 3, in which patients are encouraged to ask their doctors three questions: What is my main problem?, What do I need to do?, and Why is it important for me to do this?

I have a few suggestions of my own to help boost your health literacy:

• Upon diagnosis of your mental health condition, ask your doctor for information about support groups in your area. Not only will support groups help you deal with your diagnosis, but they’ll also help you better understand it - as well as your treatment - since they’re full of “veterans,” so to speak.
• If you’re not comfortable joining a local support group, consider an online group. You can do this through email groups, message boards, and even chat rooms.
• Soak up as much information about the mental health condition as possible. Visit websites dedicated to providing easy-to-understand information, as well as tools designed to help you manage your condition.

Have you had issues with health literacy? How did you remedy the problem?

Image: Newscom

Share This

POSTED IN: Current Affairs & News, Daily Thoughts, Everyday Stress, Medications, No Prescription Needed, Resources, Self-help, Sites of Interest, Tips