Only 22.4% of Chinese young adults in Fujian Province had attained mental health literacy (MHL), MHL was lower among those with depressive or anxiety symptoms, and MHL significantly moderated the anxiety-depression association (β = 2.04, p = 0.043), an interaction the authors interpret speculatively as earlier symptom recognition among those with good MHL.
Only a minority of Chinese young adults in the sample had attained mental health literacy.
Young adults with depressive or anxiety symptoms were less likely to have good MHL than those without such symptoms.
Anxiety and depressive symptoms were strongly comorbid and positively correlated.
MHL significantly moderated the association between anxiety and depressive symptoms.
The direction of the moderation differed by anxiety level: at low anxiety, good MHL was associated with lower depression risk, but at high anxiety, the depression rate was higher in the good MHL group.
The authors conclude that MHL among Chinese young adults remains low and is closely linked to depressive and anxiety symptoms, and recommend tailored public-health strategies.
This study surveyed 2,164 people aged 18-35 in Fujian Province, China, to see how much they know about mental health, which is called mental health literacy (the ability to recognize, understand and respond to mental health problems). Only about 22% had reached a good level. People who had symptoms of depression or anxiety were less likely to have good mental health literacy than those without symptoms. The researchers also looked at whether mental health literacy changes the link between anxiety and depression, which often occur together. They found it did. When anxiety was low, people with good literacy were less likely to have depression. When anxiety was high, however, people with good literacy were more likely to be classified as depressed. The authors suggest that people with better literacy may recognize and report their problems sooner, so screening picks up more depression in this group. They note this is speculative and needs longitudinal studies to confirm. This research suggests that mental health knowledge among young adults in this region is low and that approaches may need to differ by group. For people with good literacy, the authors propose easy pathways from noticing symptoms to professional assessment. For people with lower literacy, they propose helping people recognize symptoms and correct mistaken beliefs that lead to delays in seeking help. Because the study is cross-sectional, it cannot show cause and effect.
Chen X, Rao W, Xiong D, Ji J. (2026). Mental health literacy moderates the association between anxiety and depressive symptoms among Chinese young adults: a population-based cross-sectional study.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1872627