Mental Health Is It More Or Less Important Than Stigma

Mental Health: Is it More or Less Important Than Stigma Surrounding it? According to save.org, 30,000 Americans commit suicide a year. In the United States, an average of 5,240 children in grades 7-12 attempt suicide every day (Jasonfoundation.com). Most of these kids exhibited clear signs of struggle and depression before their deaths/attempts. Implementing a psychology course in schools centered around dialectical behavioral therapy will lead to a decrease in adolescent suicide, and an increase in understanding the mind and its components. In recent years, the amount of obtainable information for the general public has increased dramatically, meaning there is a larger chance to learn about the world, but also, a larger chance to come†¦show more content†¦This in addition to the fact that behaviors indicating struggle often go unnoticed in school settings leads to unanswered questions for the children dealing with these problems. Often times when a child is depressed and has no one to turn to so they can talk about it, be it a professional therapist, a parent, or a teacher, they will try to fix the problem themselves, which can result in maladaptive coping mechanisms. Maladaptive coping mechanisms are behaviors, actions, and or thoughts that serve a purpose to help an immediate problem, like sadness, anxiety, or suicidality, but are not a helpful adaptation in the long run. Examples of this are cutting, over eating, undereating, avoidance, dissociation, over sleeping, not sleeping, isolation, and in extreme cases, attempted suicide. If a child is not introduced to balanced and healthy coping mechanisms, they will seek their own, and often the ones they find will not be healthy or safe. It would be impossible for every parent to know everything about psychological processes, so it stands to reason that a psychological course implemented in schools would be beneficial to any student attending, and would result in lower suicide rates amongst not only adolescents, but also the adults of future generations. A widespread knowledge of the general workings of the brain, and more specifically, the best ways to stay grounded and safe, will be vital for the development ofShow MoreRelatedThe Stigma Of Children With Mental Illness1608 Words   |  7 Pagesassociation with mental illness. This stigma creates a negative feedback loop in how society views people with psychiatric disabilities. Media portrays people with mental illness as scary, bad, dangerous, unpredictable, and un-educated. These views cause people to shy away and fear the mentally ill. This stigma also affects a person’s willingness to seek help when they are experiencing a mental illness. 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