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. 

 

Mental Health Education: Why Is It Important?

Awareness

Without mental health awareness, people are less likely to know if they have a problem, and are less likely to be understanding if somebody else is having a problem. Awareness is needed to educate people on medication, mental health problems, treatments and the stigma around all of it. Although society has come quite far in relation to mental health awareness, it still has a way to go.

 

Medication 

Unfortunately, many people still look at medication for mental health problems with skepticism. After all, it’s hard for some to empathise with others who have a problem they’ve never had to deal with. This can actually lead to people sabotaging mental health treatment. It doesn’t take a lot to put somebody off of taking their medication, especially in the beginning when they may be struggling with side effects. Family members may share their disagreement and misconceptions, for example, “You don’t need to take those. They’re so bad for you,”, and, “You just need more fresh air, that’s the best anti-depressant.” The stigma can also lead somebody to be afraid to go and speak to a mental health professional, because they think they will just be put on lots of medication straight away. The truth about medication, at least when it comes to mental health, is that in the beginning a patient does need to be monitored. With lots of things, it’s difficult to get it exactly right on the first try. Some medications agree with patients, while others may take the same and have severe side effects, eventually finding that they suit something different. Sometimes treatment may include ECT (electro-convulsive therapy). Many films and television programmes have put out an unfavourable view of ECT, which can be quite effective. However, it’s important to acknowledge that there are side effects such as memory loss. ECT is a last resort treatment.   

Types of Mental Health Problem

Some mental health problems, like depression and anxiety (which we most frequently hear about compared to other mental health problems), can usually be treated using therapy and sometimes medication. Although everybody experiences anxiety, this kind of anxiety isn’t a ‘normal’ level. A usual reason to experience anxiety may be a driving test, or a job interview. Some people experience extremely high levels of anxiety around things that aren’t actually very stressful for the average person – for example, social gatherings (with friends), going outside, and using public transport. This level of anxiety is extremely disruptive to daily life. SSRIs are also sometimes prescribed to those who are depressed and anxious. There are more complicated mental health problems that aren’t talked about as much as depression and anxiety. Examples would be bipolar disorder (once known as manic depression), dissociative identity disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, emotionally unstable personality disorder (also known as borderline personality disorder) and schizophrenia. These illnesses are debilitating and require long-term management, which may be through medication and regular therapy sessions. The side effects to the medications for these illnesses may be a bit more difficult to live with, and it can be a balancing act with the focus being the overall well-being and safety of the patient.

 

There is still a lot to learn

There is still a lot of work and research to be done for mental health problems and treatments. Mental health education is important for society, and for the future of treatments. 

Mental Health Education – Demand

 Mental Health

Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a demand for more online learning resources. The pandemic has also created a higher demand for mental health support, understandably. Mental health is a very broad topic, and the way mental health problems affect people vary from person to person. In my opinion, there is always more room for educational content on mental health.

Covering Various Topics

There is a lot of educational content on depression and anxiety. I think a lot more awareness is growing in these two areas. Having said that, there is still progress to be made to reduce the stigma in these areas. However, there is a lot less awareness of other mental health problems. There needs to be more mental health education on illnesses like schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and dissociative identity disorder. Even commonly suffered problems like premenstrual dysphoric disorder could do with some more educational content on the subject.

Why is it important to cover topics other than depression and anxiety?

Although there is a stigma attached to depression and anxiety, there is a lot more awareness around them than other mental illnesses. Film and television still use mental health problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder inaccurately to drive narratives, reinforcing the misconceptions around these illnesses.

Incorrect use of mental illnesses in conversation

You may have noticed that some people may describe themselves as, “A bit OCD”, or they may say, “I’m so bipolar today.” This may seem like a harmless comment, but it takes away from the seriousness of the mental illnesses and also reinforces misconceptions. For example, many people think that bipolar disorder just means having a lot of mood swings. While mood swings can be a part of it, they’re not the only symptom. Bipolar Disorder is characterized by episodes of mania and/or hypomania and long periods of depression. People often misunderstand the seriousness of mania and hypomania, thinking of them as just being more energetic and in high spirits. In reality, mania can lead somebody to think that they’re invincible, which can cause an extreme change in behavior. It could lead them to put themselves or others in danger. An example I recently heard was that somebody with bipolar disorder just decided to fly to another country last minute. This is something that somebody in the right mind would plan in advance, take time off of school or work for and make sure they had the right amount of money to do. Doing something like this without any plan or thinking will have consequences.

Conclusion

This post alone shows that you can’t cover all aspects of mental health in a short blog post, which is why I believe mental health education is always and always should be in demand.