Poor literacy and worse mental health linked worldwide: Study

People with poor literacy battle more mental health problems worldwide, according to new research from the University of East Anglia. A new study published recently is the first to look at the global picture of literacy and mental health.

Fourteen percent of the world’s population still has little or no literacy - and the study finds that they are more likely to suffer mental health issues such as loneliness, depression, and anxiety.

The team, from UEA’s Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies (CPPT), say their findings disproportionately affect women, who account for two-thirds of the world’s illiterate.

The team reviewed data from 19 studies that measured both literacy and mental health. These studies took place across nine different countries (USA, China, Nepal, Thailand, Iran, India, Ghana, Pakistan, and Brazil) and involved almost two million participants.

The team said that they used information relating to mental health and literacy to assess the globally reported relationship between these two factors and what they found is a significant association between literacy and mental health outcomes across multiple countries.

Reference:

Dr Lucy Hunn et al,Literacy and Mental Health Across the Globe: A Systematic Review,Mental Health and Social Inclusion