World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day Celebration in Focus

Introduction: Mental health has become a global concern because of its deterioration and the adverse effects of people in various societies of the world.

The concern for mental health and its effects globally among various age groups made world federation of mental health put in place an action plan spanning from year AD 2013 to AD 2030 for every nation and government of the world to implement the plan of providing adequate care and services to mental health victims or people suffering mental health problems or issues.

The pandemic surge all over the world and its devastating effects on global economy coupled with the consumption of hard drugs, especially by the youths brought an untold hardship upon people aggravating the conditions of those who had mental health challenges before and cause more people to develop mental health problems, thus worsening the mental health condition of the people world over.

Because of the seriousness attached to mental health globally, world federation for mental health met again in May, year AD 2021 to ratify their former action plan for implementation by government of all nations to provide needed and adequate care and services to people with one mental health issue or problem; and also provide a legal framework for such.

About Mental health Illness:

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your feelings, thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected.

Mental health sicknesses are classified as psychological or mental health disorders. These mental disorders actually affect people’s thought, behavior, attitude and perception negatively. Mental health disorders occur in a variety of forms, and symptoms can overlap, making disorders hard to diagnoses.

Mental Health Disorders: Some of the mental health disorders as follows:

1.     Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by an inability to remain focused on task, impulsive behavior, and excessive activity or an inability to sit still. Although this disorder is most commonly diagnosed in children, it can occur in adults as well.

2.     Anxiety/Panic Disorder: Anxiety disorder is defined by intermittent and repeated attacks of intense fear of something bad happening or a sense of impending doom.

3.     Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar disorder causes a periodic cycling of emotional states between manic and depressive phases. Manic phases contain periods of extreme activity and heightened emotions, whereas depressive phases are characterized by lethargy and sadness. The cycles do not tend to occur instantly.

4.     Depression: Depression covers a wide range of conditions, typically defined by a persistent bad mood and lack of interest in pursuing daily life, as well as bouts of lethargy and fatigue. Dysthymia is a milder but longer-lasting form of depression.

5.     Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is not, as commonly thought, solely about hearing voices or having multiple personalities. Instead, it is defined by a lack of ability to distinguish reality. Schizophrenia can cause paranoia and belief in elaborate conspiracies.

There is a great need for everyone to take care of his/her mental health and as well help others struggling with any or combination of the disorders to be cared for.

QUESTION 1: Suggest any other mental health disorders you know.

Signs of a Mental Health Disorder: Some of the signs of mental health disorder are:

1.     Erratic thought patterns.

2.     Unexplained changes in mood.

3.     Lack of interest in socializing.

4.     Lack of empathy.

5.     Inability to tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

6.     Seeming lack of control.

This is, by no means, a complete list of symptoms.

QUESTION 2: What other signs can you suggest?

Symptoms of Mental Health Problems: Mental illness symptoms can affect emotions, thoughts, mood and behaviors, the symptoms include the followings:

1.     Emotional symptoms such as excessive anger, hostility, violence, chronic anxiety, excessive fears or worries, extreme feeling of guilt, extreme mood changes etc.

2.     Psychological symptoms such as erratic thinking, inability or reduced ability to concentrate, suicidal thinking, abuse drugs/chemicals/medications, changes in sexual urge/drive, hallucination etc.

3.     Physical symptoms such as fatigue, isolation, inability to cope with daily stress and problems, insomnia, weight loss or gain, eating disorder etc.

What is your comment?

Some Causes of Mental Health Problem: Stress, distress, anxiety, anger, trauma of all forms, unmet expectations, frustration, depression, loneliness, loss of any kind etc. Any more suggestions?

Effects of Mental Health Problem: Mental illness is a leading cause of disability of any form. Untreated mental illness can cause severe emotional, behavioral and physical health problems with other complications such as sadness, decreased enjoyment of life, conflicts, panic attack, narcissistic tendencies, relationship difficulties, addiction, financial and legal problem, academic problem, public unrest, youth restiveness etc. What other suggestion can you make?

Prevent Mental Health Problem: Preventing mental health problem will assist in reducing the incidence, prevalence, and recurrence of mental health disorders and their associated disabilities. Preventive interventions are based on modifying risk exposure, keeping the mind sane and strengthening the coping mechanisms of the individual. Mental health problem can be prevented in some of the following ways:

1.     Learn to control stress.

2.     Boost low self-esteem.

3.     Face problem squarely.

4.     Increase resilience.

5.     Pay attention to warning signs.

6.     Self-care, don’t self-medicate.

7.     Get medical care when needed.

8.     Get help when needed from friends or family.

9.     Seek professional help when crucial.

10.                        Be self-aware and reflect mindfully.

Any other suggestion from you?

Work for All: Every one of us has the responsibility of helping people prevent mental health disorders either as a professional or lay person to enable the general public or citizens enjoy healthy living and have mental wellness and wholeness in life for peaceful coexistence and harmony in the society.

I believe, that is why the World Foundation for Mental Health put their campaign slogan as, “Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality.” It is every one’s responsibility. What is your comment?

Keep Mental Hygiene: Mental hygiene entails that the mental faculty, the mind and the thought pattern of individual persons are kept healthy, unpolluted and undefiled. It also means purity of mind, therefore is an indication of good mental health.

Healthy condition that becomes polluted is an indication of unhealthy mental state that can result in attitudinal and behavioral change or mental health disorders requiring that mental health professionals work on such minds, seeking to restore such minds to healthy and sound state by the care and services provided. You’re your mind safe and sane. What is your comment?

Help Someone Today! If someone you know shows signs and symptoms of mental health illness, have an open and honest discussion with him or her about your concerns. You may not be able to force him/her to get professional care, but you can offer encouragement and support. You can also help the person find a qualified mental health professional and make an appointment. You may even be able to go along to the appointment. If the person has done self-harm or is considering doing so, take the person to the hospital.

 

World Mental Health Day

World mental health day is the day approved for creating needed awareness in the general public and to encourage health professionals to increase support and care for people with mental health challenges in various societies where they are found and for government to double their efforts for the support of mental health victims.

AD 2021 World Mental Health Day Celebration:

World mental health day celebration is always on 10^th October every year and the theme for the year AD 2021 is “Mental Health in an Unequal World.”

Permit me to dissect this year’s theme for better understanding of every mental health professionals and service providers.

Although, we have only “one world” on the planet earth where we all sojourned and operate from. This same world offers us a lot of inequalities which makes it an “Unequal World.” What is you comment?

These inequalities come as follows:-

1.     Unequal opportunities.

2.     Unequal buoyancies.

3.     Unequal economic status.

4.     Unequal political status.

5.     Unequal health status.

6.     Unequal health care provisions.

7.     Unequal privileges etc.

What is your comment? And what other “unequals” do you know?

These inequalities and others not mentioned here colours the world, making life unequal and not the same for everybody. This notwithstanding, my concern as a mental health chaplain is to ensure adequate and quality mental health care is provided for all and sundry even in an unequal world of ours, as mental health problems have no respect for status, education or age etc.

The rich have or experience mental health problems or disorders as well as the poor in the society, the educated elites experience mental health problems as well as the uneducated folks.

The youths, adults, the elderly people do experience mental health problems or disorders. Mental health problems are also none discriminatory as far as gender is concerned.

With this understanding, what should be our paramount concern as mental health professionals and service providers should be:

QUESTION 3: What is our contributions towards stable mental health of others around us?  

QUESTION 4: What increase efforts are we prepared to make towards the mental health stability and wellness of the people around us?

QUESTION 5: What researches are we prepared to conduct to help in making people experience good and stable mental health conditions?

QUESTION 6: What advocacies are we planning to make to government of nations to be aware of their responsibilities to provide good and adequate mental health care to people they govern?

QUESTION 7: What legal frameworks would you suggest for the government to put in place for the care of people suffering from mental health challenges?

These and many more of the questions for consideration should be our concern, our professional activities covers all listed above.

QUESTION 8: What other questions for consideration can you suggest?

In conclusion, therefore, we have another year ahead of us and a good action plan must be put in place to enable us function optimally in ensuring that we provide good mental health services and care to all and sundry.

Wishing you a memorable celebration this year 2021 and a more fulfillment in the years ahead of us. May God richly bless you all.

Chap. Prof . Mike-Jacobs JP, AP, CPC, 

Certified Chaplaincy Education