within a population is a relevant concern, since at the most basic level, mental health literacy is linked to general literacy. Without this foundation, the beneficial effects of mental health literacy are challenging for those who face difficulties with reading and writing. Increased measures to increase literacy rates must be employed to empower and encourage the self-help components of mental health literacy. Populations can be diverse, which means barriers, such as cultural and social contexts, must be addressed. Within and across cultures, social, economic and political factors profoundly influence mental health. There are numerous environmental and socioeconomic determinants of mental health and mental illness, just as there are for physical health and physical illness. Social determinants of physical health including poverty, education and social support also serve as influencers. In order to encompass mental health literacy and diverse perspectives, further research in these areas are needed. Recognizing uncommon mental disorders is another hurdle that can disrupt mental health literacy within the public. Recent research shows that most studies are limited to identifying depression, generalized anxiety, and schizophrenia. In a recent Canadian study, most participants demonstrated good mental health literacy in regards to most mental health disorders, but a poor understanding of panic disorder. An increased awareness surrounding underrepresented or more uncommon mental disorders is needed to widen public knowledge. A concluding limitation is the lack of research on child mental health literacy, as the majority of studies focus on adults and adolescents. If caregivers are not educated on recognizing and supporting mental disorders, this could create confusion and result in delayed treatment or wrongful prognosis for dependents. A child mental health literacy (CMHL) initiative could be implemented to target all adults in the general population, as well as parents, teachers, health professionals and/or children themselves. Improvement approaches A number of approaches have been tried and suggested to improve mental health literacy, many of which have evidence of effectiveness. These include: Whole of community campaigns. Examples are beyondblue and the Compass Strategy in Australia, the Defeat Depression Campaign in the United Kingdom, and the Nuremberg Alliance Against Depression in Germany. School-based interventions. These include MindMatters and Mental Illness Education in Australia, and the Mental Health & High School Curriculum Guide in Canada Individual training programs. These include mental health first aid training and training in suicide prevention skills. Initiatives that encourage empowerment and choice would also be beneficial, such as web-based