Mental Health Education – What Are We Contributing?

 About Us

At Mental Health TV, we provide mental health education to the general public, as well as medical students, or professionals looking for CPD. We believe mental health education is extremely important for those dealing with mental health problems, but also a key to becoming more aware of when there really is a problem. Mental Health TV was founded by Dr Andrew Macaulay, MD, MSc., MRCPsych. He has been a practising Psychiatrist for over 30 years and is passionate about mental health education.

Our Programmes

We make lots of different programmes, ranging from Insights on Depression, to The Medicated Misadventures of Sarah Tonin. The Medicated Misadventures of Sarah Tonin is an animated short series that we are working on to show how serotonin, adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine work together to affect our moods. The aim of this programme is to provide mental health education to a broad audience and simply explain the way these neurotransmitters can work. This will help with awareness on how SSRI anti-depressants work as well.

The Medicated Misadventures Of Sarah Tonin

What we are aiming to achieve with this programme is mental health education that is eye-catching and interesting. Many sources of mental health education, while good, are in the familiar format of talking heads. We decided to change serotonin into a character called Sarah and demonstrate simply what her tasks were when it came to regulating mood. The catecholamines (noradrenaline, adrenaline, and dopamine), we turned into cats named Nora, Addy and Dopey. They all live in the brain of a 20-something party animal. Nora is fitness obsessed and keeps the body ready to move, Addy is always on the watch for things that make Mac anxious, and Dopey encourages Mac to do the things that he enjoys – though this isn’t always helpful. Sarah sends messages to the nerve cells every day, but if she slacks, Mac’s mood can dip as things go out of balance. The second episode will demonstrate the function of SSRI anti-depressants. This is important, as there are a lot of misconceptions about anti-depressants and sometimes this prevents people from seeking treatment for their mental health problems.

Matters Of The Mind

Matters of the Mind is a YouTube series that we regularly update. It’s bite-size mental health education, covering a variety of topics, with our most recent one being caffeine and mental health. We’ve also covered schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, trichotillomania and more. These are short and snappy, in the hope they can appeal to a broader audience. 

Stress And Depression In The Workplace – How Can It Be Tackled?

What Are Symptoms Of Stress And Depression?

Stress is something that all of us experience. It is normal to go through stressful times in our lives. However, too much stress can affect mental and physical health in a negative way. Stress can cause someone to experience mood swings, agitation, the feeling of being overwhelmed, difficulty relaxing, low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness. These are just the emotional symptoms of stress. Physical symptoms include fatigue, tension headaches, IBS symptoms, muscle tension, palpitations, difficulty sleeping, lack of libido and more. It can make it hard for somebody to concentrate, and they might be less organised than usual. Having listed just some of the symptoms of stress, it’s easy to see why it is in an employer’s best interests to tackle stress in the workplace. Symptoms of chronic stress and depression do overlap. Depression affects motivation, sleep, appetite, anxiety levels, and more. Too much stress can lead to depression.

How Can We Reduce Stress And Depression In The Workplace?

It’s important for employers to be approachable about these issues, so that they can try and make a difference. This isn’t always the case, but many large companies do have policies in place to help employees who are stressed or struggling with mental health problems. Many will be able to try and negotiate more comfortable hours or ask what can be done to reduce stress during every day tasks. However, sometimes these changes are not made, or if they are, they aren’t enough. In this case, employees should be allowed the time that they need to visit their doctor and see if there could be further treatment for their stress. Sometimes the stressors come from outside the workplace and make it difficult for employees to work, with examples being divorce or bereavement. In these times, employees should be given the time they need to recover or navigate their stressful situation. When they wish to return to work, they should have a return to work interview to discuss how to make coming back to work as smooth for them as possible. The focus should always be on the employee, and not the effect that it has on the workplace here. Employees struggling with stress, depression, or both, may also feel a lot of guilt about a lack of productivity in the workplace. It’s important that they are made to feel supported and not worse.

 

Bereavement in Obstetrics - Reaching Out To Anyone Struggling

Miscarriage

Miscarriages are very common, and most women will experience at least one miscarriage in their lifetime. There are all sorts of reasons that miscarriages happen, and some are still unknown to us. However, knowing it is a common occurrence is not a comfort to those who experience it. A is still a bereavement, and people going through this should be offered the same kind of support that other grieving people are offered.

 Empathy

It's important to try and show empathy to anybody experiencing loss. All too often, a person experiencing a miscarriage will be expected to 'just get on with it'. This is unhelpful and does not help the person to process their grief. Sometimes, this lack of empathy is even seen coming from doctors, which is the worst place for it. In our programme, 'Bereavement in Obstetrics', we explore the best way for medical professionals to approach treatment for a person who is having a miscarriage. 

'Lockdown Babies' And Social Media

The pandemic over the last year has meant that social media has been a very popular form of communication between families and friends. It also meant that many people were out of work and fending off boredom at home. People were posting more about their personal lives to their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other websites. For those who at the time were struggling with infertility or miscarriage, this will have been difficult. Most people do post about their family lives on social media, and there is nothing wrong with this. However, to someone struggling with infertility, their feeds might have been full of pregnancy scans and announcements. These are easier to avoid when you are working full-time and have other things to do, but during the pandemic and various lockdowns, it would have been harder to avoid for a lot of people. Somebody going through a miscarriage would be seeing the journey that they themselves were expecting to make. It can be hard for someone to feel happy for others who announce they're expecting when they are struggling or unable to live that dream themselves. This can have a big impact on their mental health.

 

Feelings of Failure

Feelings of failure are a huge part of low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. Many people struggling with infertility and recurring miscarriages have a feeling of failure associated with this. Most people would agree that you have not 'failed' if you have a miscarriage or struggle to conceive, but for the person going through it, especially if it is their dream to have children, it is harder to believe. Be mindful of this. 

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. 

 

Stress And Depression In The Workplace - Working From Home

Stress and Depression in the Workplace

Stress and depression in the workplace is a common issue, especially during the pandemic. The employees that can have moved to work from home, while others may feel anxious going out to work, but not have many choices in the matter. Although lockdown restrictions in the UK are being lifted gradually, many people continue to work from home.

 Working From Home

COVID-19 has forced many to work in a completely different way. Having an office job may mean you can work from home, but there is no ‘water-cooler conversation, and routine falls apart over time when you no longer need to commute. Suddenly, you’re working in your pyjamas, sitting on your sofa with a coffee and a blanket. While this is cosy, over time it can ruin your idea of what relaxation is. Working on the sofa, a place where you might usually relax, suddenly makes it seem like a less relaxing place to be. It is the same if you have a desktop computer to work from in your bedroom.

 Correct Work Set-Up

Employers may send their employees to work from home with computers, desks, and desk chairs from the office. This is great for making sure that your employees have a decent work set-up so that they can prevent RSI. However, not everybody has enough space to set up a desk and desktop computer. This can lead to not-so-good set-ups and an increase in the risk of repetitive strain injury and back problems. Courses can be sent out so that everybody knows how they are supposed to sit, but really there is no way to make sure that your employees have the correct setup all of the time.

 Repetitive Strain Injury

Back, shoulder and other repetitive strain pain can cause stress in the workplace. Not being able to relax in spare time can also cause stress. When the workplace is suddenly your home, you might struggle to know when to stop work. It might be hard to feel motivated to start work as well. Being overly productive or counter productive can have an effect on emotional well-being.

 Empathy

It’s important for employers to regularly check on their employees during this time and show kindness and understanding to those who are struggling with any changes that may have been made. It might be good to set up regular group meetings (online) in order to keep the team spirit alive. Encourage them to speak up if they’re struggling, and see what changes you could make to improve their situation.  

Tragedy In Psychiatry DVD – A Harrowing Story

 Trigger Warning: Mention of suicide

Why does it happen?

Although there can be great improvement with psychiatric care for a lot of mental health problems, sadly many cases do still end in tragedy. This is why we have a tragedy in psychiatry DVD. As uncomfortable as it is to speak about suicide, it’s a topic that we should not be silent about. There needs to be a greater understanding of what people who take their own lives go through, in order for us to make a difference. Some may argue that it is inevitable, but I like to think that anybody could be helped.

 About Our Programme

In our programme, we use interviews with a woman who was also a mental health patient. Sadly, she eventually took her own life.  The programme helps to show her state of mind before she passed away, and highlights that sometimes the things she said didn’t line up with her actions. For example, she said she had no plans to end her life. I think this highlights the importance of always checking in on somebody, regardless of what they say their intentions are. Her mother also took part in an interview, so she could share the first symptoms her daughter experienced. 

Symptoms and Analysis

The woman began to not want to see her own reflection. Her mum came home to find crosses everywhere and all of the mirrors covered. Her daughter kept saying that the angels didn’t like her. Her belief that the angels were watching and judging her was completely unshakeable. In the programme, a group of doctors discuss the symptoms and what diagnosis they may point towards. They discuss psychosis, delusions, schizophrenia and other possibilities. They also discuss ways that they might approach treatment for somebody like her. Later, it is revealed that the woman was also abused by her father as a child – something her mother didn’t know about until a lot later on.

 Bereavement

The programme also explores the effect the woman’s death had on her mother. Bereavement through suicide is an incredibly difficult thing to recover from, and it was very brave of her mother to speak about the way that she felt and how her daughter’s illness affected her. This highlights the importance of support for those who have lost their loved ones to suicide. It should be spoken about a lot more, so that people know they can reach out for support, and others are more likely to give their support.

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.