Abstract:
Among several obstacles healthcare professions face when providing care to patients, a
notable barrier is health literacy. Health literacy (HL), is the ability to obtain and understand
health information and necessary services to make appropriate health decisions. Mental health
literacy (MHL) is the knowledge and beliefs of mental disorders that support the recognition,
management, and prevention of mental disorders. Healthcare professionals must take steps to
recognize patients at risk for low HL as well as mental illnesses such as eating disorders.
Increasing knowledge, awareness, and education of HL and MHL among healthcare
professionals has been shown to enhance delivery of care and improve patient outcomes, in
addition to engaging in interprofessional practice. However, research examining this knowledge
and awareness among undergraduate health professions students remain limited. This paper
addresses this gap in the literature through two studies. The purpose of study one was to assess 1)
the HL literacy knowledge, experiences, and preparedness of health professions students, and 2)
the level of training, confidence, and preparedness related to interprofessional education and
practice. Undergraduate health professions students (n=220) completed a 15-mintue online
survey about HL and interprofessional practice. The purpose of study two was to assess the
eating disorder-MHL knowledge, experience, and preparedness of nursing students.
Undergraduate nursing students (n=5) took part in virtual mini-focus groups with questions
about eating disorder-MHL. Overall, notable gaps were revealed, primarily within HL and MHL
knowledge and awareness. Findings present a vital need to incorporate HL and MHL education
and experiences into the curricula of health professionals. Further investigation of health
professions students’ knowledge, awareness, and education of HL and MHL is warranted.
