What does "mental health literacy" encompass?

Mental health literacy encompasses knowledge about mental disorders, which includes recognizing symptoms, understanding risk factors, and knowing how to seek help or manage those disorders effectively. This knowledge empowers individuals to identify when they or someone they know may be experiencing mental health issues, facilitates appropriate responses, and reduces stigma associated with mental health conditions. By fostering awareness about mental illnesses, mental health literacy helps promote well-being and encourages individuals to seek treatment when necessary, contributing to overall public health.

The other options do not align with the definition of mental health literacy. Knowledge about physical exercise does not relate to mental health specifically. A belief that mental health issues do not exist reflects a stigma that can hinder understanding and support rather than promote literacy. Understanding the history of mental health treatments may provide context but does not directly contribute to the current recognition and management of mental disorders as cognitive understanding for contemporary application does.