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

[man] NO, NO!

Why don't we talk more about mental health

in the African American community?

[man] Son of a...!

[Ainara Alleyne] 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.

[Alleyne] 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 too full,

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.

[Khoury]: So

mental illness involves

mental health problems that are really

linked to high levels of distress

And--

or problems functioning in daily life.

[Alleyne] 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.

[Char 1] Why are you making

me so self conscious right now?

[Char 2] Because I have to.

[1] Why?

[2] Because I'm anxiety!

[Alleyne] 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.

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

[Char 2]: Oh my God girl

like, no, like same

I'm so OCD [laugh]

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

[Alleyne]: 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 overdramatic.

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.

[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?

[Alleyne]: 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.

Simone Saunders says that kids

can bring home resources from school

or share what they found online,

and start a conversation

with their parents.

[Saunders]: And so when 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.

[Alleyne]: 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

raising 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.

[Parkin]: I think it's really important

for everyone to feel like

they have a safe space

to express themselves,

and a safe space to

be who they are.

[Alleyne]: 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 mental health

and wellness with care and kindness.

[calming chime sound]

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 KN Explains.

For CBC Kids News,

I'm Ainara Alleyne.

To make this video, I turned

to experts, interviews, and research.

Thanks to:

Jeremy Parkin,

Simone Saunders,

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!