There is a common question that bumps in our minds that, what is mental health, and why mental health education is important? World Health Organization (WHO), claims that one out of every four people suffers from a mental disorder and has defined mental health as “a condition of comfort in which a person practices his aptitudes, airs usual anxiety issues, behaves efficiently and effectively, and is accomplished of contributing to his culture and society.” World Health Organization
Both professionals in the area and common people have multiple configurations when it comes to mental health. It encompasses not only the absence of a problem, but also the condition of well-being, inner peace, inner symmetry, social cohesion, and the presence of all mental aspects essential for professional and social incorporation.
A must ask Question to ourselves
We must ask ourselves a very important question;
What are constitutes a man’s well-being, and more precisely, what are the characteristics of internal equilibrium?
To start with, the human can handle inner and outer confrontations rationally and impartially, the capacity to handle emotions properly to not cause an inner disparity, and finally, the person’s ability to make peace with own selves, to learn and acknowledge life experience, and to perceive them correctly. Individuals who are at peace with their selves embrace themselves the way they are, strive to handle their own life, accept other individuals, and accomplish their private life, career, and societal duties.
Why Mental Health Education is important?
Mental illness is characterized by a disruption in cognitive ability produced by an aberrant exchange of chemicals in neural stem cells, which manifests itself as a shift in an individual’s behavior. It can manifest itself in a variety of ways, ranging from sadness to schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses. The goal of mental health education is to keep that well-being.
A list of mental health suggestions compiled by The Canadian Mental Health Association is following;
1) Develop a positive sense of self-worth.
2) Both receive and provide
3) Make decent parents and family bonding a priority.
4) Make valuable friends.
5) Determine your priorities.
6) Get your oar in the water
7) Learn to properly handle stress
8) Deal with influences that affect you
10) Have a philosophy that is uniquely yours
Importance of mental health awareness
Even though public perceptions of mental disorder have improved in recent years, research shows that taboo against mental illness remains strong, owing in part to stereotypes and prejudices and poor education and that people attach pessimistic taboos to mental health problems at a much greater rate than they do to other illnesses such as tumors, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease.
Prejudice has an impact not just on the number of people taking medication, but also on the available resources for successful therapy. For somebody suffering from a mental illness, prejudice and ignorance might feel like insurmountable barriers. Here are a few effective things we may do to assist:
Treating individuals with kindness and compassion
Eliminates a major impediment to them properly managing their sickness. To someone who is battling with their mental wellbeing, having people recognize him as an individual rather than as a disease may make all the difference.
Educating those in our area of influence
It ensures that these people have the same equal opportunities as the rest of our community, institution, and country.
Gaining a better understanding of mental health
It enables us to assist people in our family and the community who are impacted.
Why Mental Health Education is Important in Schools?
Education may aid in the removal of prejudice and taboos regarding mental health. Prejudice is a badge of shame that distinguishes a person. These individuals are determined by their sickness and classified as part of a stereotypical group.
Guilt, humiliation, pessimism, and pain can all result from negative sentiments toward negative stereotypes. We should begin to normalize mental disorder talks and the taboo around it begins to dissolve by teaching our young about mental disease.
Great Impact on kids
School-based mental health education may have a big influence on kids’ ongoing and prospective mental health. It can also help to eliminate prejudice barriers and develop resilience by raising awareness of mental health. The advantages of this form of schooling are incalculable.
Schools can help students develop personality and consciousness, which can lead to better mental health. It is critical that kids learn well about the significance of psychological health, how to detect indicators of mental illness, and how to get help for any mental health problems.
We can encourage more awareness and tolerance of mental health by conversing about it, which will boost help-seeking behavior. Mental health education in schools is incredibly beneficial since it may have a good influence on our adolescent’s and youth’s life.
Lack of Mental Health Education in Schools
Mental health issues among school children have been a prominent source of infirmity during the last two decades across the world (WHO, 2003). The prevalence of profound mental, behavioral, or cognitive illnesses among teenagers are presently believed to be between 10% and 20%.
Externalizing or internalizing problems might occur as a result of mental health issues. Inappropriate behavior concerns, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), antisocial personality disorders, and substance abuse are the most frequent externalizing difficulties among children starting in preschool. Anxiety, stress, panic attacks, mental disorders, agoraphobia, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are the most common internalizing disorders.
Almost 50% of all persons living with the long-term mental disorder begin to struggle before hitting 14 years old, but most individuals don’t obtain therapy until ten years just after the outset. Nevertheless, studies have shown that teaching students about psychological health earlier makes them more likely to ask out for help and by merely teaching them about awareness and leading mindfulness activities for a period, students experience less physical discomfort, worry, and conflict.
Importance of Mental Health for teachers
Educational institutions have the potential to have a substantial impact on kids’ mental health. Reports suggest that 70 to 80 percent of adolescents needing mental health therapy acquired it in school. However, teachers, counselors, and other school employees — not only kids — must have a greater understanding of mental health and the impact of trauma for them to receive that treatment at school and for it to be effective.
According to the research conducted in the USA, there are over 80,000 teachers who are specially educated to educate traumatized children, yet they are unable to notice or respond appropriately due to a lack of training and their unidentified mental issues. Such data indicates that how much is the importance of mental health for teachers. That is why mental health education is so important for every single person.
Conclusion
Mental health is and should be considered equally important to physical health. Mental health education may mean the difference between life and death, and we are far from incompetent to save victims. The most important thing regarding mental health for an individual and a community is aware of mental health problems. In society, when it will become normal to talk about depression and other mental problems, it will automatically not be a bigger issue to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. We can say that why mental health education is so important question.
On the other hand, the question “ Why mental health education is important in schools” is a much-needed problem to be addressed. There should be a proper guideline to deal with the fragile minds of school kids to educate them for mental problems. Teachers in schools should also be in a stable state of mind and trained to educate children so that they can easily identify any mental health problems of school children.