Contest: Mental Health Awareness.

Greetings to you my amazing friends and steemians of this beautiful community. Trusting God you're all doing good? We thank God for the gift of life. Thanks to @alfazmalek for bringing up this contest.

Source

Mental health is one aspect of ourselves we often ignore and before we realize, the collateral damage we get for ignoring our mental health is usually huge. It is very important to be concerned about our mental health to avoid us going into depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, personality disorders or even psychotic disorders like schizophrenia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defined mental as a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and be able to contribute to their community.

Source

What role do media and celebrities play in promoting mental health awareness?

The role played by the media and celebrities in promoting mental health awareness cannot be overemphasized. The social media is a big and important tool in promoting healthcare for population as they always have a large number of active participants. Looking at the time we often spend on the social media like Instagram, tiktok, YouTube, Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter) amongst others, they often have large influence on the dissemination of health information.
Most celebrities can also promote mental health awareness through their numerous fans and followers. It's much easier for them to do so because they often have fans who are very much loyal to them and will not hesitate to do what is demanded of them by their celebrities.

The media and celebrities also play a role in Mental Health aware through the following ways:

1. They are sources of information thus, they provide access to resources, advices and well as specialized professionals.
2. They help in creating awareness and reducing any stigma that is associated with these conditions.
3. People's participation in online groups and communities can help provide a sense of belonging, a source of emotional support as well as an opportunity to share experiences with people facing similar challenges.

Source

How can education improve understanding of mental health

Education can improve understanding of mental health through the following ways:

1. Fostering a supportive environment by creating safe spaces, promoting self-care and stress management as well as encouraging help seeking behavior.
2. Raising awareness and reducing stigma through incorporating mental heath into curricula and also organizing workshops and inviting health professionals as guest speakers.
3. Promoting mental health literacy
4. Supporting educators and staff by providing mental health trainings as well as fostering a supportive school culture.

Source

What are the benefits of creating supportive environments for mental health discussions?

When a supportive environment is established for mental health discussions, the following benefits can be achieved:

1. It encouraged open communication which in turn reduces stigma, foster trust and also promote help seeking behavior.
2. Supports mental health and well-being and this have a ripple effect in improving mental health outcomes, reduction of stress and anxiety and it also enhances resilience.
3. It fosters a sense of community.
4. It supports personal growth and development as it will encourage self-awareness and foster personal growth.

I will conclude by telling us of a sad story on mental health that happened to a course mate of ours after graduating from the university.

I was at my university earlier this week to make some inquiries in my former department. I bumped into one of my former course mates. We are happy seeing each other again since our graduation in 2018. We exchange pleasantries and I asked after some of our course mates who where residing in that town. That was when he told me of this certain course mate of ours who has been battling with mental disorders.

He told me this guy can't remember or recognize anything again. That even when you greet him, he will act as though he has never seen you before. He was attributing his condition to spiritual attacks (trust we in Africa with spiritual beliefs) but I had to cut him short and tell him that this guy needs medical attention. He has mental disorders and I'm suspecting it to be schizophrenia.

I told him I'm sure it didn't just start of recent. There were signs but then, they were ignored reason why his condition has deteriorated to this level. My heartached when I heard this news. I had to reach out to our alumni group to see how we can come in and assist as soon as possible. I pray and hope that his condition can be treated cos he's one of the bright students in our time.

I'm inviting @deelyt @owulama and @ashley-p to also participate in this contest.

CC: @goodybest