Comprehensibility of patient education literature.

A survey of the mental health information literature available in NSW was made using the Flesch Formula for Reading Ease. It was found that ten out of thirteen were written at a level of complexity unintelligible to up to 60% of the general public. The literature is therefore falling far short of its potential. It is recommended that a serious attempt be made to write pamphlets in Plain English style. This process should include a Reading Ease estimation.