Opinion piece by Luísa Campos, Professor at the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

Knowledge about mental health can sometimes lead to misinterpretations, leading many people to believe that they have the skills to deal with these situations (in themselves and in others).

At a time when there has been much talk about the importance and need to promote mental health literacy, especially among university students, the paradox that it can represent has also become increasingly apparent.

On the one hand, promoting mental health literacy can be a powerful tool, as access to information makes it easier, for example, to recognise symptoms and seek appropriate help.

On the other hand, this promotion can lead to a problem: people's overconfidence in their ability to understand and manage mental health problems. In other words, knowledge about mental health can sometimes lead to misinterpretations, leading many people to believe that because they recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, they have the necessary skills to deal with these situations (in themselves and in others).