Education for Mental Health

In this article we want to depict aspects of mental health as integrating part of human and social health. We would also like to have an insight into the freshman students` knowledge so as to find out their level of knowledge, attitude and mentality towards mental disorders and people suffering from a mental condition. Stigmatization towards people with mental disorders is still common in the social mentality. These attitudes contradict social orientations towards human beings and their interests. Social distance brings about serious consequences upon the professional rehabilitation and reinsertion of this social category. They are regarded as a category facing serious restrictions in terms of human rights. In our study we are trying to identify the freshman students` opinion, attitude, mentality and orientation towards the understanding of such a complex issue like mental disorders. We wish that the future professionals in the field of psychology, psycho-pedagogy, social work and pedagogy became supporters of open and compassionate attitudes towards people with mental disorders. They should turn into advocates that would change the social perception and reduce stigmata.

2014

We define the concept of mental health on the basis of the realization that mental health is not just a health phenomenon anymore, but also a social and psychological one. By defining mental health separately from mental illnesses, it is placed into the concept of public health, which exceeds the medical definition of the determination of a “mental illness”. The anthropology of health defines the medical treatment as a social practice, which takes into consideration a person’s social context, the differences between genders, the connection of personal and social. It accents the characteristics of social systems, values and manifestations of social crises through basic concepts and discourses, like gender and culture. Besides the consideration of health and disease, it enables also the consideration of a person in a highly industrialized society and of a culture as a totality. The phenomenon of destructive ways of manifesting psychic crises requires the recognizing of mental health a...

Acta Medica Medianae

Social psychiatry emphasizes the inclusion of mentally ill persons in family and social life. The negative attitude towards them is still an obstacle for achieving the best treatment results and their optimal quality of life. Young educated people could be an important community factor in the fight against stigmatization of psychiatric patients. The aim of the study was to determine the difference in attitudes among Serbian students attending different faculties, as well as to find out the correlation between students' attitudes and their demographic characteristics. The study involved 408 Serbian university students. The respondents were divided into three groups to determine the differences in attitudes between groups with different educational levels. We have used the Attitude Questionnaire and Demographic Questionnaire for this purpose. Medical students who had passed their exam in psychiatry, those who experienced psychological and psychiatric problems themselves, and those with a mentally ill family member had a positive attitude towards the mentally ill. Future health workers and the family members of mentally ill individuals are most important in the attempts to decrease stigmatization of psychiatric patients.

Journal of Contraceptive Studies, 2018

The present study is an experience report that analyzes the perception of the medical students of Unigranrio, Barra da Tijuca, regarding the performance of the psychiatrist, in the field of specialty practice in primary care and in the psychiatric emergency service, and in relation to the insertion of the non-teaching of medical education, as well as basic themes in mental health, highlighting the feelings about the contact and approach of the patient with mental disorders and self-perception of the medical student's mental health, allowing reflections on the problem of existing non-teaching doctor. It carried out an evaluation in order to bring contributions to mental health education, detecting the presence of erroneous concepts, stereotypes and perceptions related to the subject in the formation of the student, at the same time as it discussed the need of forms of intervention to overcome challenges that involve obstacles and methodologies of mental health teaching in the medical course. The project leads to reflections on teachers and students, the possibility of mobilization at improving the future formation of the doctor, in a view of the magnification and relevance of psychiatry teaching. The construction of the project made it possible to highlight a different perspective for insertion and expansion of mental health to medical students, and for analysis of the Psychiatric Reform process, as well as questions about the need for changes in the medical curriculum formation, about concepts, sensations, misconceptions, prejudices, fears and anxieties related to the care of the psychiatric patient.

Educational performance regarding mental health The postmodern society is a society guided by unprecedented changes. It is a society of knowledge and calls for rapid adjustment, mobility, flexibility and efficiency as response to rapid changes in the environment. Higher education which trains future specialists in the field of education, psychology and social work should take into consideration these social premises in the professionals`training process. The initial training of future specialists is oriented towards professionalism in their domain and its aim is the studentsàbility to train constantly through lifelong learning for efficient professional and social insertion. Initial training through undergraduate and master studies is considered insufficient. Initial formation of the future specialists is constantly subjected to criticism. The quality of initial training is another common aspect nowadays. Thus, it is necessary to develop a new vision of professional standards for initial training for our students from all programmes of study and the share between initial and continuous training and the professional evolution should be reassessed. Professional standards related to the level of professional training refer to the expected quality of specialists`work differentiated according to working positions, level of education and expertise. Competences require a certain level of performance in professional activity and they can be of two types: cumulative and progressive competences. It means that students will acquire competences along with knowledge, skills, aptitudes and attitudes, experiences but also by manufacturing in a personal, creative and specific manner the realities from the labour market practice. The study approaches the issue of high quality training of students who will become teachers, psychologists and social workers. Being a teacher, as well as psychologist and social worker is a vocational profession, the students, future specialists in these domains must have proficient competences. Physical and mental health as integrating part of human and social health, must be an important part of the educational system. Students must have a high level of knowledge, attitude and mentality towards mental disorders and people suffering from a mental condition. The young students must be aware about the aspects of mental health as integrating part of human and social health. In society, even if we are in the 21 st century, we can observe a kind of improper mentality. Stigmatization towards people with mental disorders is still common in the social perception. Even if a lot of laws on human right were implemented in the last decades these attitudes still exist, but contradict social orientations towards human beings and their interests. An informed person is a person who knows his/her rights very well, so that students learn how to manage a situation related to mental illness. The most important aspect concerning a good training for future teachers is the attitude of the society related to a person suffering from mental illness. It is known that social distance brings about serious consequences upon the professional rehabilitation and reinsertion of this social category. Persons of different ages, suffering from a form of mental illness are regarded as a category facing serious restrictions in terms of human rights. In our study, we are trying to underline the importance of a good training for the future teachers, psychologists and social workers as well as a correct opinion, attitude, mentality and orientation towards the understanding of such a complex issue like mental disorder. It is an important goal of our institution to prepare future professionals in the field of pedagogy, psychology and social

BMC Psychology

Aim The current study aimed to assess and compare the level of knowledge and attitude towards mental illness between secondary school students and their teachers in Oman. Methods An online survey was carried out to collect data from 400 students and 411 teachers about their knowledge and attitudes toward people with mental illness. Two independent case studies about depression and schizophrenia were also tested. Results Students have a poor knowledge of mental illness compared with their teachers, as more than half scored less than 60% compared with 16.5% of the teachers. More than two-thirds of the students (80%) and teachers (76.4%) have a low or minor positive attitude toward people with mental illness. The study identified significant differences in knowledge in favour of teachers, although the opposite was found regarding attitudes. Conclusions Since students spend a significant amount of time in school, bridging the gap between teachers' and students’ knowledge and attitud...

Psychiatria Danubina

Stigma refers to the undesirable characteristics linked to mental illness and the adverse cognitive and behavioral consequences. Stigma causes a spiral of alienation and discrimination, leading to social isolation that diminishes chances for recovery. There is a great need for antistigma programs in order to decrease stigma related to persons with mental health problems. The antistigma program was initiated in schools of Serbia with the aim to address and decrease discrimination of adolescents with mental disorders. Sixty-three students from high schools voluntarily participated in the program. The effect of the program on the attitudes of students was evaluated by the Opinion about Mental Illness Questionnaire given to adolescents prior to its implementation and six months afterwards. Social discrimination and the tendency towards social restriction were reduced, while, at the same time, social awareness of mental health-related problems was increased among young people six months ...

IJCIRAS, 2019

This article is all about a study of mental health and mental disorders and how they affect the different aspects of education of school students. The main endeavour has been to discuss several sides of maintaining good mental health and its impact on the academic sides of school students. This paper has pointed out with the vivid description how the absence of good mental health causes serious mental disorders such as Anxiety ,Alcoholism, Depression, Delinquency and Crime, and ADHD etc. This writing has shown how the study of mental health has helped school authorities and parents understand their roles and responsibilities in dealing with the emotional sides of school going children.

Saúde e Sociedade, 2013

By living in the community, people with mental health problems face the challenge of building their social inclusion. This study aims to identify and analyze the conceptions expressed by the interviewees about social inclusion and mental illness. The research methodology used was the qualitative approach. The subjects in this investigation were people with mental health problems, users of a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS) and people in their social network. For the data gathering, semi-structured interviews were conducted and discourse analysis was used for examining the data, allowing reflection on the conditions of production and for the meanings of the texts to be grasped. The interviewees' perception of social inclusion is in accordance with the literature, valuing aspects such as work, education, income, empowerment and being accepted in their differences. However, the community shows negative association in relation with mental illness, which are introjected by people over time. The asylum model helped to build the idea that the people with mental health problems are dangerous, incapable and must be excluded. Thus, people with mental health problems face prejudice and discrimination that makes the process of their social inclusion difficult. In this context, it is necessary to deal with the cultural inheritance that establishes the concept that they must be feared and excluded. Advances in conceptions of social inclusion are a strong ally in transforming conceptions of mental illness, since social inclusion assumes an inclusive society for all, without exceptions.