Why We Need the Concept of “Mental Health Literacy”

In this issue, Mackert and colleagues argue for the benefits of a general health literacy focus, which can be applied across health domains. Using the concept of mental health literacy as an example, this article argues that there are also major advantages of a domain-specific approach. The concept of mental health literacy has had policy impacts and led to the development of interventions, which might not have otherwise occurred. It has also led to the development of assessments specifically targeted at intervention goals. It is concluded that while a general concept of health literacy might be appropriate for some purposes, it does not meet the specific needs of the mental health area.