Mental Health (MH) Education in schools

[xiahoudun]

I was chatting with a friend of mine a week ago and I realised that there must be loads of people out there who suffer with MH issues and don't know about it. Apparently 1 in 3 adults do/have/will face a depressive illness in their life time. And many do so unknowingly, undiagnosed and untreated. My response was 'damn, what a crazy world we live in.'

There must be a way we (as a country) can deal with the stigma, shame, lack of awareness and lack of resolution that surround these issues.
_______________________

I think that change needs to start amongst the young; that seems to be where these issues tend to start (up to around 25 [approximate figure, with exceptions of course] most people are still forming their perceptions of the world and themselves, etc.) and where they need to begin being treated with.

So how could this be implemented? I thought a blanket approach of doing MH checks on all pupils would help. A friend, however, pointed out that though this might seem useful it would be discomforting to many parents, and therefore not necessarily get the support it deserves.

Next idea was for all students to undergo mental health educational lessons in schools, as part of PSHE or otherwise. The purpose would be to raise awareness (thereby dealing with stigma, helping develop more supportive environments for those facing MH and bring to attention MH issues to those who may be unaware of them, allowing them to pursue treatment).

Another friend brought it to my attention that at Prime Minister David Cameron | Number 10 Downing Street - The official site of the British Prime Minister (yes I'm in the UK) you can put together petitions and given enough signatures parliament is consented to discuss them.

Maybe I'm going off on one here, maybe there's a particular reason why this hasn't happened yet, but what do people think? Could something like this work and make a difference?

[Arz Sra]

I appreciate your concern.

Yes, It has be done before whole world turns neurotic . Its really a neglected part. What all there is needed to be done is to make children understand "the content of their minds". Instead of handing over some new concepts or 'ways of dealing with issues' which has been happening all over the history they should be taught how mind works.

[hamix]

It depends. Most mental health training is disconnected with reality and how people actually behave.

Most psychiatrists promote being spiritual, but Western society is not like Tibet or Bhutan. Our beliefs long ago were Christian, yes, but Christian spirtuality is nothing like Eastern beliefs that mental health professionals say people should embrace. Most of them also say that eating unhealthily is bad, but evidently most don't take the contemporary healthy eating trend seriously since millions eat KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, etc. everyday.

Mental health is important, who would say it isn't? But psychiatry is just a heap of hot air, since it's disconnected with reality. I personally think mental health is based upon emotional management, positive thinking, and doing things to sustain a balanced mind/emotional wellbeing. I think mental health professionals largely push this spirituality cladestinely. Well stranger things have happened lol...

[jacob tudor baruch]

NLP should be taught in high schools, IMO. Some magnet programs already do but to a limited extent.

[Brutha]

There must be a way we (as a country) can deal with the stigma, shame, lack of awareness and lack of resolution that surround these issues.

I don't think that awareness raising campaign produce much positive chance.

It would be much better to actually teach those kids some skill that they can use to manage their emotions better.
NLP lessons would be great.

[Arz Sra]

Originally Posted by Brutha

I don't think that awareness raising campaign produce much positive chance.

It would be much better to actually teach those kids some skill that they can use to manage their emotions better.
NLP lessons would be great.

"I don't think that awareness raising campaign produce much positive chance."

can you elaborate a little please?

[Brutha]

"I don't think that awareness raising campaign produce much positive chance."

can you elaborate a little please?

Could you point to a single awareness raising campaign that succeeded in changing people's actions for a good cost/benefit ratio?

[AaronB]

I see mental health as a result of lack of self understanding. Understanding how emotions work has changed my life forever. To discover that I never have to feel bad again is mind blowing, and until I discovered this I lived under enormous stress. My mind and body both seemed to take a toll from this. It's hard to imagine a school that taught emotional awareness, because most schools manipulate students into doing something that they don't really want to do. Emotional awareness makes it impossible to be manipulated, and might actually be a disservice if the goal is to trick children into doing what is best for them, instead of doing what they really feel like doing.

[Arz Sra]

Originally Posted by Brutha

Could you point to a single awareness raising campaign that succeeded in changing people's actions for a good cost/benefit ratio?

So you attribute the failiure to what?

[Arz Sra]

Originally Posted by AaronB

I see mental health as a result of lack of self understanding. Understanding how emotions work has changed my life forever. To discover that I never have to feel bad again is mind blowing, and until I discovered this I lived under enormous stress. My mind and body both seemed to take a toll from this. It's hard to imagine a school that taught emotional awareness, because most schools manipulate students into doing something that they don't really want to do. Emotional awareness makes it impossible to be manipulated, and might actually be a disservice if the goal is to trick children into doing what is best for them, instead of doing what they really feel like doing.

Yes. Thats what I was talking about

[AaronB]

Originally Posted by Arz Sra

Yes. Thats what I was talking about

I'm imagining the emotionally aware child:

I am clearly aware that I don't want to be here in this classroom right now because what I am learning does not at this moment feel useful to me, given my values at this point in my life. I understand that it is your job to provide me with the teaching that some organization has decided to be in my own best interest, but along with that is an assumption that I am unable to recognize my own best interests. Learning to not trust my own interests leaves me uncomfortable, because at what point do I return to trust my own natural sense of interest and direction? If my natural sense of direction does not actually motivate me to move in a direction that is valuable for me, then it must be flawed. This seems like a rather big flaw to just ignore, that I'm born with a sense of direction that needs to be set aside. In that case what is the purpose of the sense of direction and naturally occurring interests if they don't point me in a direction that is valuable to me?

It seems as if what I value is considered unimportant, because I am a child. While everything around me tells me that I cannot trust my own ability to choose what is best for me, something within me says that it is okay. I feel there is an intelligence within me that understands everything that needs to be understood far more accurately than has been suggested, and that my own natural sense of interest and direction actually points me in the direction that is most beneficial for me.

[Brutha]

So you attribute the failiure to what?

Information alone is quite worthless.

Awareness raising campaign are usually done because society doesn't have the guts to work on the real problem.

Instead of looking at the causes that make people depressed you say that those people who don't feel well should be aware that there are pills that help them.

Teaching children to deal with their emotions and their own mental health is quite valuable.
Teaching them to be aware of mental problems isn't.

[xiahoudun]

Originally Posted by Brutha

Information alone is quite worthless.

Awareness raising campaign are usually done because society doesn't have the guts to work on the real problem.

Instead of looking at the causes that make people depressed you say that those people who don't feel well should be aware that there are pills that help them.

Teaching children to deal with their emotions and their own mental health is quite valuable.
Teaching them to be aware of mental problems isn't.

And what would you suggest?

[Clint Cora]

I spoke at a few media press conferences on behalf of mental health associations here in my region and what you are saying certainly makes sense. There are a lot of mental health cases out there that are not diagnosed or treated well.

Many cases are left under the rug so to speak because many people, especially from certain cultures, feel it is too shameful to speak about mental health in the open. There indeed needs to be major education.

In my region, there have been some TV campaigns to educate the public on the importance of mental health issues. It might not be enough for the older generations but if we can get through to at least the younger ones, that perhaps it will get them to seek help faster if required.

So what you propose is great. There is a lot of work left to do in this area. If you are passionate about this issue, I would suggest that you contact your local mental health associations to see if you could be of any help.