Mental health: What it is and why it matters | CBC Kids News

NO NO

Why dont we talk more about mental health

in the African American community?

Son of a...

Mental health

It's a term that I am sure you've heard

being used at school or on social media

You know that it's important

and that it's something people are trying

to raise awareness about

But have you ever stopped to think about

what it really means?

lets dig into it

This is KN Explains mental health

Everyone has mental health,

but what does that really mean?

What's the difference between feeling sad

and being depressed?

feeling nervous

versus having an anxiety disorder,

and what can you do to help?

to better understand this topic

I turned to a few experts

Hi

my name is Jeremy Parkin

and i am a wellness support worker

with the Yukon First Nations

Education Directorate

Hey

I'm jennifer Khoury

I am a psychologist

here in Halifax

My name is Simone Saunders, and I'm

a licensed therapist in Calgary, Alberta

So what is mental health?

Well, according to our experts,

it is a term used to describe our

social and emotional well-being

Mental health is just as important

as physical health

and needs to be taking care of

just the same

It is affected by many factors,

including your genetics,

your physical health,

your life experiences,

and more

We all have stress

And we all have mental health needs

to take care of our mental health

We have to balance out the stress

If we think of us all having

a stress bucket,

it gets filled up

with different stressors, schoolwork,

conflict with friends, family,

all different things fill up our bucket

But if it gets twofold,

it can lead to us feeling overwhelmed,

burned out, or worse

So to take care of our mental health,

we need to be able to relieve

some of those stressors

You can do that by getting regular sleep

Eating well, socializing with

friends and family

Going outside and

getting physical activity,

anything that helps us feel good

Imagine each time you

relieve your stress,

a small hole is made in the bucket

Offloading the weight

of all those stressors

Keeping it all in balance

is key to mental wellness

Mental wellness is a lifelong process

and is different for everyone

It doesn't mean always being happy,

but rather that you're able

to manage well

in your day-to-day life

Mental wellness is a spectrum

that goes up and down

throughout our lives

There may be another term

you're hearing

Mental illness

Mental illness is one part

of mental health

According to a survey from 2012,

one in three Canadians will be

affected by a mental illness

in their lifetime

A mental illness is a diagnosis

which may be determined by a doctor

based on symptoms

and how they affect a person's life

Mental illness is not the same

as feeling distressed

because of normal reactions to difficult

situations like losing a loved one

or big changes like moving to a new school

Everyone has feelings that

can feel negative at times

like feeling sad or anxious,

but not everyone has a mental illness

So mental illness involves

mental health problems that are really

linked to high levels of distress

Or problems functioning in daily life

Sadness, for example, is not

a mental illness,

but if that sadness is paired with

other symptoms like tiredness,

irritability,

a lack of enjoyment of things

you used to enjoy,

then that could be depression

Depression is a mental illness

Another common mental health concern

is anxiety

Everyone can feel stressed or anxious

at times,

but not everyone has an anxiety disorder

Why are you making me

so self-conscious right now?

Because I have to

Why?

Because I'm anxiety

People who are mentally ill

can seek treatment

That can be in the form of medicines

like antidepressants,

but that can also be

in the form of therapy

A combination of both drugs and therapy

is often recommended

Some mental illnesses may only last

for a certain period of time,

but many are lifelong health conditions

People who are mentally ill

can live happy and productive lives,

but may just need some extra support

Like anyone living with a chronic illness,

it can be really difficult to talk about

mental health and mental illness

Sometimes that can be because of

something called stigma

Stigmas are negative stereotypes

Stigmas can lead to discrimination and

they can prevent people from

seeking the help that they need

One way we stigmatize mental illness

is with our language

For example,

calling people crazy or psycho,

is stigmatizing language

Even saying things like I am OCD

can add to stigma

[Tiktoker 1]: Yeah, I actually have OCD.

[Tiktoker 2]: Oh my God girl

like, no, like same

so OCD [laugh]

[Tiktoker 1]: No, I actually, I have-

[Youtuber]: OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

is a real diagnosis

and making light of it

can be harmful

to those who are

actually living with it.

Some stigma comes

from the fact that

you can't see a mental illness

the same way you might

be able to see a physical illness

or disability.

That's why they're often

called invisible disabilities.

This can make people

hesitant to believe

someone is struggling,

and may even accuse

them of being dramatic.

Talking about emotions

can also be stigmatized.

Sometimes society

and expectations make

you feel like you need

to appear strong,

and mental illness can be

seen as weakness.

That is a huge stigma.

[Jeremy Parkin]: I think

we just need to make sure

that people know that

it's okay to not be okay.

Which I think is

the biggest stigma, y'know?

[Youtuber]: Some communities

may be at higher risk

of dealing with mental health

difficulties and mental illness.

That can be because

a number of factors,

like having less money,

experiencing barriers

because of race,

and living in an area

with less resources.

So, what are some strategies

for taking care of mental health

in all communities?

Well, first off is education.

Advocates say that everyone

should know more about

mental health, mental wellness,

and mental illness.

That includes breaking down

dangerous stigmas, and

also spreading good information

about where to get help

when you need it.

For kids, getting help with

mental health concerns

can mean relying on adults

in our lives. But sometimes,

those adults lack education, too.

Symone Sanders says that kids

can bring home resources from school

or share what they found online,

and start a conversation

with their parents.

[Symone Sanders]: And so when older

the older people in your life

kind of have the foundation

of information of

okay, this is what mental health is

then it can be easier

to start talking about your own

mental health, your own experiences.

[Youtuber]: A second strategy is access.

People need to be able to access

programs and treatment

for mental health concerns.

Healthcare professionals and

mental health advocates have been

ringing alarm bells about the length

of the waitlist for youth healthcare.

For example, our report from 2020

said that kids in Ontario are waiting

an average of 67 days

for counseling and therapy,

and 92 days for intensive treatment.

These sorts of waitlists are

common across Canada,

and is a big reason why advocates

are asking governments to provide

more resources to support

mental health care.

A part of access is also

providing culturally appropriate

and community-based approaches.

[Jeremy Parkin]: I think it's really

important for everyone to feel

like they have a safe space

to express themselves

Um, and a safe space to be

who they are.

[Youtuber]: As individuals, we can

help each other out.

That can mean being supportive

when people reach out for help,

and it means treating people

with mental illnesses with

care and kindness. It also

means treating our own health

and wellness with care and kindness.

[calming chime sound]

[Youtuber]: If you're in need of support,

you can talk to a trusted adult,

a school counselor, a health practicioner,

or you can use services

like Kid's Help Phone.

Mental health is a big deal,

but it's not as scary

of a topic as I thought.

What are some ways that you

take care of your mental health?

For me, I like to write, read,

and try fun new things.

Well, that's it for Cam Explains.

For CBC Kids News,

I'm [name].

To make this video, I turned

to experts, interviews, and research.

Thanks to:

Jeremy Parkin,

Symone Sanders,

And Jennifer Khoury,

who all appeared in the video.

Additional help came from

Stacey Gawrylash.

Some sources of research were

CBC news, Statistics Canada, and the

Canadian Mental Health Association.

Whew!