Many Americans don’t know basic facts about common mental illnesses, according to a study by Michigan State researchers.
According to the survey, 32 percent of all respondents were unable to identify the signs of prescription drug abuse (taking higher doses than prescribed, excessive mood swings, changes in sleeping patterns, poor decision-making and seeking prescriptions from more than one doctor). Those percentages were even more concerning for people aged 18-34 (47 percent) and among all men (44 percent).
“Although great strides have been made in the area of mental health literacy in recent decades,” the authors write, “the discrepancies in mental health knowledge, helping behaviors and stigma show the importance of continuing to educate the public about mental health issues.”
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