Mental Health - Let's Talk About It
By Jasper Schroell, For Ms. Wallings Blogspot Posted: January 08, 2019 9:50 AM
Mental health issues are a big part of many peoples lives. With about 40% of people by age 40 having experienced issues with mental health at some point in their lives. In any given year, 1 in 5 people will experience a mental health issue personally. Approximately 24% of death in people ages 15-24 and 16% in people ages 25-44 are caused by suicide.
Mental health issues don't just affect adults, teens are heavily affected as well. There is an estimated about 10-20% of all Canadian youth affected, this is the single most disabling group of disorders worldwide. Approximately 5% of males and 12% of females have experienced a major “Depressive episode”. The total number of people from ages 12-19 in Canada who are at risk of developing depression is an alarming 3.2 million. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in 15-24 year olds in canada, only behind accidents. 4000 people die prematurely each year due to suicide. Mental health is becoming increasingly threatening to youth, with Canada's youth suicide rate the third highest in the industrialized world.
Mental health issues are a major part of many peoples lives, but not everyone receives the help needed. With only 1 in 5 children who need mental health services need them. The alarming amount of people who have mental health issues don't receive the proper help needed, the most common reason for this being due to a fear of mental illness. People are scared of their mental illness and certainly don't like to talk about it. People use the mentality of “If you don't admit to a mental illness, there won't be one”. This is a major issue because a vast majority of people with mental health issues don't seek help, but instead avoid the problem altogether.
How You Can Help
The first step to helping someone who has a mental illness is to recognise any changes. Looking for changes in their behavior or attitude will be very helpful when looking for a mental illness. The next thing to do is to help them find help. Family and friends are very important in the early stages of seeking help, due to being close with the person affected. The next step is helping with medications, appointments, and treatments. You can help your loved one with setting up or going to appointments, encourage them to do their therapy treatment, or remind them to take their medications. Though these are just few ways to help, your support can be very helpful in their journey. The next step would be support them in everyday life. Going through something like mental health treatment can be hard and stressful for some people, so having a family member to help is very useful. You may help by staying with them when they need someone, help them with eating properly or even support them financially.The final step, but one of the most important is providing emotional support. Going through a journey of mental illness is very tough, and very hard to do alone. Having a close friend or family member to support them on their journey may be just what they need.
Works Cited
“Fast Facts about Mental Illness.” CMHA National, cmha.ca/about-cmha/fast-facts-about-mental-illness.
“Why Don't People Get Help for Mental Illness?” Bipolar Burble Blog | Natasha Tracy, 22 May 2013
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