“We know that people with better literacy tend to have better social outcomes in terms of things like finding employment, being paid well, and being able to afford better food and housing. Not being able to read or write holds a person back throughout their life and they often become trapped in poverty or more likely to commit crime.

Impact of Literacy on Depression

“There has been some research examining the potential association between literacy and mental health but this is the first study looking at the issue on a global scale.”

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.

Dr Lucy Hunn completed this systematic review as part of her Doctorate in clinical psychology training at UEA. She said: “We used information relating to mental health and literacy to assess the global reported relationship between these two factors.

“What we found is a significant association between literacy and mental health outcomes across multiple countries.

“People with lower literacy had greater mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression.

“We can’t say for sure that poor literacy causes poor mental health, but there is a strong association.

“There may be multiple factors impacting on mental health which also impact literacy – such as poverty or living in an area with a history of conflict. However, what the data does show is that even in these places, you still see worse mental health for those without literacy skills.

“This work highlights the importance of mental health services being aware of and supporting literacy,” she added.

Literacy and Mental Health Across the Globe: A Systematic Review is published in the journal Mental Health and Social Inclusion.

Source: Eurekalert