What is Mental Health Literacy?

As peers who live with a mental illness we understand the degree to which stigma has invaded our lives, much like our diagnosis. They tend to arrive, hand-in-hand, ready to knock us down. But if there were some way we could combat stigma and the discrimination we face for something we didn't ask for, wouldn't we want to explore that option?

That's precisely what mental health literacy does. Mental health literacy refers to the ability individuals have to find, understand, and use information and services to take action and make informed decisions about their mental health journey and wellbeing.

Practicing mental health literacy means that you are educating yourself and others; and using that knowledge to take down stigma – both on a personal scale and a societal scale. Mental health literacy is not something that is achieved overnight or perfected in a day; it is a lifelong commitment to learning about improving who you are as a person.

Interested in learning more? Contact TMWC's Peer Enrichment Program Director, Katie Phillips, at 419-242-3000/ext. 103