Exploring the health literacy of people in a high-secure forensic mental health facility using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ)

Forensic patients have poorer health outcomes than the general population and have specific healthcare needs. Health literacy is an emerging field that could enhance how forensic services meet the needs of this cohort. We undertook an exploratory cross-sectional survey using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) to describe the health literacy strengths and challenges of forensic patients in a high-secure facility in Australia. Data were collected from 35 forensic patients. Males comprised 85% of the sample, 80% had a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia and 74% self-reported at least one existing health problem. Compared to the general Australian population, forensic patients had significantly lower HLQ scores for five of the nine scales. No statistical differences were found when comparing participant characteristic groups. This study has revealed differing patterns of health literacy strengths and challenges of forensic patients. Future research on a larger scale is required to enhance the health literacy of this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]