Introduction
Mental health is one of the most persistently rising concerns across the world for various reasons. Among the highly contributing factors to the steady rise in depression, stress, and anxiety is a low literacy level. Today, a good percentage of people in the world have an idea of mental health or have witnessed it firsthand, but they do not have relevant information to help curb the global menace.
While the health concern spreads across different age groups, it is most prevalent among young people, and this is more worrying because this age group represents the future of society. Therefore, it is important for the small percentage of mental health literate individuals to assume responsibility through voluntary work as counselors and help their peers. Understanding the risk factors and treatment options is vital in promoting mental health; also, evaluating existing initiatives can shed light on more effective interventions for curbing the alarming rate of mental health disorders.
Mental Health Literacy in Contemporary Times
Literacy in mental health involves the ability to identify specific disorders, seek and apply mental health information, recognize causes and risk factors, and knowledge of available professional help as well as self-treatment options. Moreover, attitude plays a significant part in mental health; therefore, literacy in the subject entails a positive attitude that promotes help-seeking and recognition.
Contemporary issues today present new challenges that make the current generation vulnerable to societal pressure that develops into anxiety and later depression. Typically, depression, the most common mental health disorder, is linked to the modern lifestyle (Gorczynski et al., 2021). Unlike in earlier days, life today is less family-oriented; there is more leaning on independence. While these two features alone cannot point to unhappiness as a direct link to mental health disorders, they cannot be ignored as characteristics of the contemporary world that has alarming rates of mental issues.
Social media, for instance, has piled pressure on the upcoming generation in high school and college. The need to catch up and match the ever-changing lifestyle trends builds up anxiety hence mental disorders. There is desperation among the young generation to prove happiness and match with the social and economic status of their peers. Unfortunately, equality defies the laws of nature. People are built with different capabilities and interests McAllister (2018). While finding oneself is not easy, emulating another person is worse; this is probably the main cause of pressure in this age group. Social media provides a platform for quick communication that includes showcasing good times that go as per trends of the day.
Social environment influences a person’s mindset and perspective of life, and it is difficult for a young person to swim against the tide of fashion when mainstream media and all applications on their smartphone are dishing out pressure. Most critics would run to avoiding or reducing the use of smartphones as an easy solution to the social media effect. However, the 21st century presents a complicated environment where learning and all manner of communication depend on these gadgets and applications (Gorczynski et al., 2021). While indiscipline and lack of focus are part of the problem in contemporary times, these should not be the focus and basis of blame; mental disorders are unique health complications that need constant and long-term support.
Role of Student Counsellors
Interactive Meetings
Student counselors should consider setting up highly interactive sessions that include people with mental disorders in collaboration with the school administration. Close engagement with direct victims of health complications significantly reduces stigma (Niles, 2020). Letting students familiarize themselves with mental health disorders, like any other disease, is the first step to helping victims of the same. Considering most people suffer in silence and by the time they come out, it is too late; interactive sessions will fade the embarrassment feeling. Thus, they increase the chances of successfully fighting the effects of mental health in schools.
Creating Awareness
Illiteracy is the biggest challenge in dealing with mental disorders. While a huge percentage of people suffering from the diseases are young people in school, most of them are also naïve of the same. The inability to identify a disorder and lack of knowledge on how to handle an affected person delay the treatment procedures letting the conditions escalate to delicate levels (Niles, 2020). Designing posters, weekly or biweekly sessions, and engaging external facilitators are among the initiatives student counselors can implement to create awareness.
Develop a Curriculum
Most schools have developed support systems for students regarding health. Therefore, student counselors can utilize existing resources depending on available skills in respective schools to structure a simple yet objective curriculum (Niles, 2020). The interactive sessions and awareness campaigns should not be free flow but tied to specific and sensitive areas. For example, part of the curriculum should target improving attitudes toward mental health. Once peers in schools have an understanding and positive mindset towards victims of the disorders, existing interventions will be effective in schools and, in turn, reduce the alarming rate in society.
Mental Health Initiatives
The Australian government is at the forefront of supporting people experiencing mental health challenges through self-management and education, among other strategies to help in managing mental health. Schools, companies, and community groups are also implementing different mechanisms to ensure a healthy society and productive nation (Niles, 2020). When an individual is experiencing challenges of mental health, the effects spread beyond the family to the wider society, hence the need for community involvement.
Physical Activity Programs
School administrators need to consider including physical activity as a major part of the school program since most of the victims of mental health are of school-going age. Typically, schools in Australia have a session at least every week for physical exercises, but they are never run objectively. Most students use this period to chat with classmates and do simple outdoor activities, which helps in breaking the monotony of classes (Gorczynski et al., 2021). However, this does not help in managing mental health challenges. Schools should invest in gym equipment and professional trainers that can engage students regularly with the objective of eliminating stress and anxiety. Physical activity programs should be at least twice or thrice a week for every class to ensure the stress hormone is suppressed.
Awareness Campaigns
Awareness campaigns on mental health as a literacy initiative are the foundation of reducing the biting effects of mental conditions widely spreading in society. The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with humanitarian organizations, should quickly introduce regular sessions that target educating students on mental health. While there is considerable knowledge on mental conditions among students in high school and colleges, it is not enough considering the fast-rising number of victims. Most high schools have guidance and counseling sessions once a week where students are engaged in diverse subjects from Sexually Transmitted Diseases to Etiquette. Unfortunately, mental health has been neglected; however, it is not too late to develop a plan and make this a major part of this program.
Additionally, religious organizations should develop monthly programs that specifically address mental health. Knowledge is the basis of any solution, especially in strategies that involve society, like mental health. By working with humanitarian organizations, schools, and churches will access professionals in counseling and previous victims of mental health conditions to share their journey to victory with the young generation. Mental health victims need to know their condition is not unique, which will help to build a fighting spirit. Commitment by local administrators in collaboration with schools and churches can have a significant effect in a bid to help the young generation improve their mental health.
Strengths and Limitations of Mental Health Literacy Initiatives
Most of the initiatives fostered by different groups to address mental health are highly effective; however, the strengths of any measure in society do not exist without its weaknesses. In this case, children of parents with mental illness are secondary victims of mental health challenges. The children need to understand as early as possible that one or both of their parents have a condition, and some of the decisions or actions they make are excusable. However, age limits children from understanding some complex elements of a family setup; they can develop a wrong perspective of a father or mother (Niles, 2020).
Additionally, they can develop an ingrained scar that will affect their adulthood in their choice of partners or parents. While it is important for such children to be literate on mental illnesses early, some initiatives can ruin their perception. Mental health literacy will undoubtedly improve interpersonal relationships within a family with parents experiencing mental challenges; however, children can grow up with a scar. For example, after understanding the challenges of mental health, children of parents with mental illness can avoid starting their own family or having a partner but avoid parenting since they do not want to subject other people to what they know.
Soldiers who have successfully completed missions in hostile areas develop mental health disorders since the wailing, explosions, and enemies they neutralized continue to play in their minds. It is a tormenting experience for armed services that some resort to suicide. McAllister (2018) explains that army administrations often engage such individuals in mental health literacy and implement several initiatives to support the returned soldiers in managing their mental challenges. Suicide awareness, for example, helps individuals to understand and avoid entertaining the thought; however, human nature is always after the easy way out or simply an alternative. While the returned soldiers can fight for several months, suicide awareness can be counter-productive as a person with such in-depth knowledge can resort to it to put the suffering to an end.
Conclusion
Mental health illnesses are not new in the world, but they have undoubtedly increased in recent times due to lifestyle, among other reasons. Therefore, understanding the risk factors and evaluating the available initiatives to restrain the increasing mental health disorders is paramount. Moreover, considering that young people in high school and college are the most affected, fostering effective initiatives on mental health literacy is vital not only in churches and other community groups but also in learning institutions. Peer support, for example, student counselors, is an effective measure that should be well developed and fight the alarming rise in mental health victims.
References
Gorczynski, P., Currie, A., Gibson, K., Gouttebarge, V., Hainline, B., Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., Mountjoy, M., Purcell, R., Reardon, C. L., Rice, S., & Swartz, L. (2021). Developing mental health literacy and cultural competence in elite sport. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 33(4), 387-401. Web.
McAllister, I. (2018). National identity and attitudes towards immigration in Australia. National Identities, 20(2), 157-173. Web.
Niles, F. S. (2020). Stress, coping and mental health among immigrants to Australia. In D. L. Dinne, D. K. Forgays, S. A. Hayes, & W. J. Lonner (Eds.), Merging past, present, and future in cross-cultural psychology (pp. 293-307). Garland Science.