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The present research examined "creepiness," a commonly referenced but little understood construct. In Study 1, 185 undergraduates (74% women) provided qualitative data on the defining characteristics of "creepiness." "Creepiness" was found to reside in the eyes, and was associated with men with ectomorphic-like bodies, with a dishevelled appearance, between 31 and 50 years of age. In Study 2, 48 students (71% women) rated black-and-white photographs of Caucasian male faces on a 7-point Likert-type scale for "creepiness," trustworthiness, and attractiveness. Pictures included 15 neutral images from the Sterling University Psychological Image Collection, 15 images from America's Most Wanted website, and 15 images rated most "creepy" in a pilot study. "Creepy" faces were perceived to be significantly less trustworthy, less attractive, and more "creepy" than the other 2 groups. There was a significant correlation between trustworthiness and attractiveness across all 3 groups, with between 25% and 58% of the variance in trustworthiness ratings explained by attractiveness. Results are discussed in terms of how judgments of "creepiness" are made, how "creepiness" may be less about physical peril and more about ambiguity of threat and violations of social norms, and implications for stigmatized populations such as the mentally ill.

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The significant change in rates of reported symptoms following completion of treatment suggests that a large proportion of symptoms reported at treatment entry were substance related. Diagnosing co-morbid conditions is best left until after a period of abstinence during which the alcohol problem has been treated. Assessing for co-morbidity at time of treatment seeking is likely to result in inappropriate co-morbid diagnoses being made and inappropriate or unnecessary treatments being prescribed for such individuals.

Mental health literacy (MHL) refers to an individual's understanding of mental health (positive and negative), mental disorders and their treatments, and ability to effectively seek help (i.e., when, where; ability to use information to seek informed treatment; Kutcher, Wei, & Coniglio, 2016). Most studies of MHL are limited to identifying depression, generalised anxiety, and schizophrenia. Typically, Canadians are good at recognising depression relative to anxiety and schizophrenia. The present study examined the MHL of a mixed Canadian sample of introductory psychology students and adults from the general community (N ϭ 337) via online survey using vignettes (i.e., depression, schizophrenia, substance use, generalised anxiety, panic, or obsessive-compulsive). Most participants correctly identified depression, schizophrenia, substance use, and generalised anxiety; most participants advised treatment by mental health specialists for most disorders, except for panic, which seemed to be viewed as a medical condition requiring medical attention. An interesting find was that physical activity emerged as a well endorsed option. Age and sex differences are discussed, as well as implications for individuals and broader society. Public Significance StatementA person's mental health literacy (MHL; i.e., knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders) is key to their ability to recognise and effectively manage mental health symptoms in themselves and others. Most participants demonstrated good MHL in regard to most mental health disorders, but a poor understanding of panic disorder (PD). PD tends to be chronic and can exact considerable personal, societal, and economic costs (e.g., health care, lost productivity). More efforts are required to enhance public awareness of PD and evidence-based approaches to its treatment, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and physical exercise.