Welcome!
The Mental Health Literacy Initiative aims to provide free and engaging evidence-based mental health information to the public. We understand the complexities of mental health and, therefore, use a biopsychosocial (biology, psychology, and social) approach to understand these issues. We also believe that people of all ages from diverse backgrounds should be able to understand mental health research and strive to make our content as easily accessible as possible.
Dr. Melinda Karth, Ph.D.
The Mental Health Literacy Initiative was created by Dr. Melinda Karth, Ph.D., after she noticed there weren't a lot of freely available educational resources about mental health for the public. Using her advanced background in neuroscience, media, and psychology research, Dr. Karth hopes to provide people of all ages with easy-to-understand and creative mental health resources that challenge our perceptions of mental illness.
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Dr. Karth's passion for mental health awareness started at an early age. As a figure skater, she saw firsthand the height of psychological (and physical) distress that young people can experience. These experiences inspired a 15 year journey exploring the different factors that contribute to mental health issues.
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Her curiosity first led to Penn State, where she developed a strong foundation in media studies/effects and psychology. Here, she applied this knowledge to projects exploring how media and social influence contribute to the development of psychological disorders and mental health distress in children. After graduation, she expanded on this research at the University of Leeds in England, where she earned a master's in media and communications.
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It was at this time that Melinda realized just how complex mental health is. Feeling inspired, she chose to pursue neuroscience and a second master's degree to gain further insight into the questions she had surrounding mental health. "Starting over" in a new field, with no neuroscience experience, was challenging! But Melinda persevered and was able to publish research exploring pharmaceutical treatments for binge eating. Following this work, Melinda began her Ph.D. in neuroscience, where she did interdisciplinary research exploring which factors during adolescence contribute to young adult anxiety.
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With her unique background and passion for mental health awareness, Melinda is excited to use her expertise for social good through her work with the Mental Health Literacy Initiative.