Mental Health Education - How Can It Be Improved?

 Why do we need more mental health education?

The world has become a lot more understanding of mental health problems, thanks to many efforts to raise awareness and also research that has been gathered over the years. However, there is still more work to do. The stigma that comes with mental health problems still survives. Misconceptions about mental health problems thrive in various forms of media, with people misusing terms regularly. Some examples are when people use the term 'OCD' to mean that they like things to be clean, and when people describe the weather as 'Bipolar'. Many people think that schizophrenia means to have multiple personalities, when in fact this is known as Dissociative Identity Disorder. Some symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. However, schizophrenia affects everyone who has it differently. Many also think schizophrenia makes people violent, which more often than not, isn't actually the case.

 

What do we need to know more about?

We've all seen plenty of information on the basics of anxiety and depression. I think these are the easiest topics to cover, because the symptoms of both are things that many people can relate to, so they're easier to understand. Having said this, there is still a stigma around both anxiety and depression, so more content in that direction doesn't hurt. It would be good, however, to cover topics that are often portrayed incorrectly, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Eating Disorders, and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. Other topics that could be explored are ADHD, Autism, and other conditions that may have an effect on anxiety levels and self-esteem.

What formats can we take advantage of to educate?

The internet is a huge resource for education, and along with this, social media sites and apps. Full documentaries can be uploaded to YouTube and Vimeo, while more 'out of the box' creative, bite-sized pieces of information can be spread through apps like TikTok, and Instagram Reels. While full length and short documentaries are very informative for those going out of their way to seek the information, the TikTok and Instagram Reels format suits shorter attention spans.

 

What is most helpful?

There really is no 'right' answer to this question. The best thing that anybody can do to raise awareness about mental health problems is to try and understand others' experiences, and if they're comfortable, share their own. Professionals in the psychiatric field can help by speaking out about the things that they have learned. Everybody can challenge misconceptions when they see them.