Evaluating health literacy in people with mental illness using the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults

BackgroundHealth literacy is understudied in the mentally ill population, yet it is clear that a high level of health literacy is essential for successful management of illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression. To investigate health literacy in people with mental illness living in urban Australia, and to evaluate the relationships between medication adherence and health literacy.MethodThirty people with schizophrenia and 30 with major depression were assessed with Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA).DiscussionThe level of health literacy in our mentally ill participants was comparable with that of the general Australian public, and considerably higher than the rates of health literacy reported in US studies. There appear to be national differences in health literacy, which limit comparison between studies undertaken in different countries. There was no association between health literacy and medication compliance. Our results suggest that poor health literacy does not explain medication nonadherence in people with schizophrenia or depression living in Australia.