Several
charities believe that not enough is being done to spot the early signs of
mental health issues, which are putting lives at risk. A call for more training
for key figures such as teachers and GPs to be better educated in identifying
early signs as it is said to be crucial to raise awareness. Should more
pressure be put onto educators and doctors to be more proactive and aware?
Should young people be able to spot mental health issues for themselves or
should more be done to help from the outside?
Mental
health symptoms are easily relatable and shockingly, can include problems such
as paranoia, delusions, depression, anxiety, personality changes and obsessive-compulsive
disorder. Simple signs such as not going to school or work can also be
indicators of mental health problems.
The
lack of early recognition can often result in serious injury, both to the sufferer
and those surrounding the individual. It can however, be argued that mental
health is sensitive subject area for teens and young people who don’t want to
recognise that there is an issue or want to ask for help. This poses the
question, why is there a certain amount of stigma surrounding mental health in
young people?
Barbara
McIntosh who works for the Mental Health Foundation believes that anyone who
comes into contact with children should know more about what signs to look for.
Although they already have a very tough job to do, with the right tools and
support, a lot more can be done to acknowledge and help young people with
mental health issues. She states that friends, families and anyone who comes
into contact especially with children are being urged by charities to have a
better understanding of mental health issues and know the tell tale signs.
The
sooner mental health problems are diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome
can be and it is less likely to develop into a more problematic issue later on.
Time to Change encourage people with mental health problems to discuss their
issues and stand up to the stigma. Mental health is not generally represented
in a positive light and therefore stereotypes are formed making the subject
even more difficult.
Therefore,
whose responsibility is it to recognise the issue of mental health problems among
children and young people? These issues may be occurring from a young age in
any number of situations at home or school and other such places, but, should
it fall on friends and family to do something, or that of the educators and
professionals who are more knowledgeable in the subject area?
What
is your opinion on mental health amongst children and young people? Do you
think more should be done to recognise and contain it by parents or
professionals?
It
is acceptable that we as a society have a stigma surrounding mental health
issues and find it difficult to discuss these matters?
Do
you have any past experiences personally or know of somebody who has suffered
with mental health issues?
N.
As a current employee in a school, I beleive that there is certainly a stigma surrounding mental health issues. However, the more information on mental health that is given to young adults and their parents, the more acceptable and easier to talk about it becomes. Mental health issues are serious, but the sooner they are recognised by either parents or professionals, the sooner something can be done, and I beleive both parties are equally responsible.
ReplyDeleteHello, thank you very much for taking the time to comment on my blog post. It's really interesting to get the view from an employee within a school as there has recently been calls for more teachers and education supporters to take more responsibility and generate more awareness. Do you think that within your current situation as a school employee that you would benefit from more training for both yourself and the young people?
DeleteI was never particularly aware of stigma surrounding mental health whilst at school, but having moved to university and been friends with people struggling with a number of different mental health issues, I have come to realise that there is a great deal of prejudice surrounding such issues. There is not, however, sufficient education in schools about the severity of mental health problems and the experiences of those who are diagnosed. The benefits would be two-fold: education reduces stigma amongst peers; education on mental health symptoms would help students spot the signs early in their friends. Professionals and parents should also be educated on the issues for the same reasons, but should not feel burdened or ashamed if they fail to spot symptoms at an early stage.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for taking the time to respond. It's very interesting that you say that as I have had quite a few young people tell me that they became a lot more aware of mental health issues whilst at university. I completely agree that it stems from education for both young people and the adults of society. Why do you think the prejudice exists in the first place?
DeleteI think the prejudice stems from a fundamental societal search for and praise of the perfect and the normal and embarrassment in not seemingly meeting the norms that which society expects. Historically, those with mental-health problems have always found themselves on the periphery of society (see: lunatic asylums and Prince John), so it's little surprise that this continues today. I wouldn't say that there is any particular pressure from the media, unlike the pressure which it puts on women and their body image. People who check into rehab with mental health issues are often treated with empathy and sympathy rather than disgust.
DeleteI agree with your views that people who experience mental health issues are more often treated more sympathetically, but I would still argue that that that sympathy is felt from a distance. It's curious that a society with so many other underlying issues such as class, wealth, poverty etc can still seem to be so judgemental.
DeleteAs someone that works in health policy, I think the real problem (which in all fairness the Department of Health has acknowledged) is what they call the "parity of esteem" between mental and physical health. Mental health services and conditions are hard to get funding for, or to get acknowledged as serious, or to have their symptoms recognised, because physical health problems are seen as more important. I guess that comes in part because more often the symptoms and solutions ofr physical health problems are so much more obvious than with mental health, but it needs to change if mental health care is to improve
ReplyDeleteCan it not be argued that in some cases, physical issues can be the outcome of untreated mental issues? It seems to be a more 'out of sight out of mind' type of mindset that the government and National Health systems focus on. Do you agree?
DeleteI would definitely say that more needs to be done for young people who are university students. It is easy for students to get lost amongst the other hundreds on a course and teaching staff may not notice when a student is absent for weeks at a time. Recognition is vital at such a stressful time in many people's lives.
ReplyDeleteMore does need to be done about the stigma surrounding mental health, not just knowing what a certain diagnosis means, but understanding the behaviors and underlying issues can really help in combating such issues.
We completely agree, the processes of starting University is a big time in a young persons life who have left home and be living independently for the first time in their lives. Having no really adult figure to answer to as well as losing the care and comfort of home life becomes difficult for some young people to deal with. Do you think it the responsibility of the University/Student Union to monitor students wellbeing more closely?
DeleteThere has been a stigma surrounding mental health issues for a long time. I think it has improved slightly (just think of the difference in treatment of soldiers now with PTSD compared to in WW1 when deserters would be shot. OK, there's still a stigma but at least there is a diagnosis rather than punishment!) but there is still a long way to go before it is viewed on a par with physical health issues. There is the misconception that someone who suffering with depression should just 'pull themselves together' as though it is just a question of choosing to be happier, rather than an understanding that mental illness can be the result of a physiological imbalance or a reaction to an external situation or life event and therefore not within the sufferer's control. This is rather strange seeing as some physical problems can be as a result of lifestyle and therefore, to some extent controllable (eg. lung disease caused by smoking, liver disease caused by alcohol) but the sufferer would still be empathised with.
ReplyDeleteI think that education would help to promote understanding and remove the stigma. Even cancer used to be whispered in hushed tones, and it's only through education and awareness that we have been successful in reducing deaths by early diagnosis.
I know there is a lot of pressure on schools already but I think it would be easier to train them to recognize the symptoms of mental health issues than to teach all the parents in the country. A parent generally only has experience of their own child/children and so is not in a position to judge whether their behaviour is out of the ordinary or not.
D