Young Min
nds an
nd Men
ntal He
ealth
By Eylul Atesogullarii mental health
h disorders aand why theyy are crucially important I interviewe
ed Angie To dig deeper into m
from the NH
HS for answe
ers. She work
ks in the Chil
ld and Adole
al Health Ser
rvices scent Menta
Thomas e mental hea
alth problem
ms. and she spends her ttime helpingg young peopple who have
health disord
ders are ofte
en looked uppon these dayys. Mental h
health probleems are a growing Mental h
public health concerrn. They are prevalent noot just in the UK, but around the worrld. Mental health ms (e.g. depreession, anxie
ety and drug use) are rep
ported to be the primary drivers of diisability problem
worldwiide, causing o
over 40 million years of ddisability in 2
20‐to‐29 yea
ar old peoplee. “it alsso maatters if thee perso
on is awarre of the disorrder or not” uestions, som
me were mo re about how
w disorders a
affect peoplee when theyy are at I asked aa series of qu
school o
or work and ssome were a
about the em
motions and tthoughts tha
at happen onn the inside o
of someone with a men
ntal health p
problem. d in public sp
paces, such aas school, parks and How do mental heallth disorderss affect peopple diagnosed
d areas? crowded
It depends on what the disorder is. There are a very wide range of disorders. If the person had anxiety which occurred in public spaces it would affect them very majorly, they wouldn’t be able to breathe properly and wouldn’t be able to concentrate. Furthermore, it also matters if the person is aware of the disorder or not, if not they would have to research symptoms. How can you know if you are experiencing a mental health disorder? The internet has lots of resources, there are many websites you can go on and search about your symptoms. A few examples of symptoms for anorexia are: losing appetite and withdrawal from family of friends. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, see a doctor or tell someone you feel comfortable with. If a parent has a mental health disorder, how can they talk to their child about it? And what if they are worried that their child will also have a mental health disorder? The parent should talk to the child and explain more about it. They can educate both themselves and the child on how to keep their child safe. Why do people always think the diagnosed people are the bad guys? In my opinion, this is happening because of how they are portrayed in the media. For example, in films and books it’s always the person who has the mental health disorder that is the villain that harms people. Most of the time, this is definitely not the case and just a silly stereotype. A charity is starting an organization where people with disabilities and very serious mental health disorders can go into training to be able to deal with finding and actually working in a mainstream job that they may have been denied previously. Do you think this is a good idea or not and why? The vast majority of people with mental health disorders have normal lives – they go to school or have jobs, but having a mental health disorder means having to manage your mental health as well as everything else. However, there is help and support available. In answer to your question I would like to state that everyone should already be equal. However, if the person diagnosed is willing to be trained by staff and supported then it is a good idea. I was once working in a rehabilitation centre for adults and I have seen first‐hand how the training helps and how it can actually be beneficial. Overall, there are pros and cons of the organization, but I do think it shouldn’t be very necessary because we should all be equal when it comes to employment. These are some answers on why mental health is so important and should be taken better notice of by health services!