Low mental health literacy is associated with depression and anxiety among adults: a population-based survey of 16,715 adults in China – BMC Public Health
Background Mental health literacy is a predictor of health outcomes in psychological distress. However, limited research has explored whether low mental health literacy is associated with recent depression and anxiety. Methods We used data from the Guangdong Mental Health Survey, a provincial representative and a population-based survey with a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method. We included adults aged 18 and above living in communities from September to December 2021 in Guangdong, China. Eligible participants were those who completed the mental health literacy questionnaire and assessments for depression and anxiety symptoms. We assessed the proportion of individuals with low mental health literacy by categories of psychological symptoms and whether low mental health literacy was associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms in the general population and subgroups. Results A total of 16,715 adults were included. We found that individuals with more severe symptoms h