Mental Health Awareness Month: re:TH!NKing taking care of our mental health

When we think about cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, we don’t wait years to treat them. We start before Stage 4—we begin with prevention. When people are in the first stage of those diseases and are beginning to show signs of symptoms like a persistent cough, high blood pressure, or high blood sugar, we try immediately to reverse these symptoms. We don’t ignore them. We don’t question the individual’s experiences. In fact, we develop a plan of action to reverse and sometimes stop the progression of the disease.

So why aren’t we doing the same for individuals who are dealing with potentially serious mental health conditions?

May is Mental Health Awareness month, and although we're nearing the end of the month, it is always the perfect time to raise awareness about mental health conditions and address the continued efforts needed to become a mentally healthy nation. Mental health conditions are defined as "conditions that impact a person's thinking, feeling or mood may affect and his or her ability to relate to others and function on a daily basis. Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis" (NAMI). One in four American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year and 50% of Americans will meet criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their lifetime (MentalHealth.gov; Mental Health America). Mental health conditions are not only common, they are treatable. However, less than 20% of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health conditions receive necessary treatment (MentalHealth.gov). Many people may not recognize the symptoms of mental health conditions and they may be unable to ask for help. Additionally, the stigma and silence that plagues mental health conditions prevents many from being able to recognize and acknowledge potential warning signs, let alone seek help and treatment. The warning signs of possible mental health conditions include:

• Depressed mood (sadness)
• Poor concentration
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Extreme mood swings
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Feelings of guilt
• Thoughts of suicide
• Extreme irritability
• Agitation
• Increased risk-taking behavior
• Difficulty in organizing thoughts
• Emotional flatness

So what can YOU do to support your own mental wellness and create a culture that strives to support those who are experiencing mental health conditions?

• Talk. We all have mental health and we all experience difficulties staying mentally healthy sometimes, so being able to talk about it is important to us all. And you don't need to be an expert about mental health. Sometimes, just doing the little things, like asking someone how they are, is all it takes to let someone know you're still thinking about them and can make a big difference to how they're feeling. So talk with your family, friends, coworkers, and others about mental health. Need conversation starters? Text START to 89800 throughout the month of May 2015 for discussion questions through the national “Text, Talk, Act” program.
• Stop and smell the roses...literally. Take a walk outside. Enjoy a nearby park or notice the hints of a changing season. Studies show that being surrounded by nature is a mood booster.
• Switch up your exercise regimen. Try a dance class or a new sport. Exercising with other people can enhance its stress-reducing benefits. Even small additions of exercise throughout the day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking your car farther away, can decrease tension and improve sleep.
• Make a list of activities you enjoy. Set aside time each week to focus on yourself and what makes you happy. Remember, everyone deserves a break and we're often hardest on ourselves.

• Write down and share a few things that you are grateful for. Thinking about what you’re grateful for everyday can help to put into perspective all of the day-to-day stresses and worries that can overwhelm your mind.
• When your brain is bursting with worries, write them down. Release all those cooped-up worries and let the paper deal with them. By writing down your worries, you feel as though you’re emptying your brain, and you feel lighter and less tense.
• Take a few minutes to breathe deeply—in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try this technique: Pretend you’re taking a giant whiff of a bouquet of flowers, then pretend to blow out a candle.
• Treat people with mental health conditions with respect, compassion, and empathy. If you know someone with a mental health condition, be supportive and non-judgmental of them. Check in with them to see how they are doing and how you can help. It can be as simple as just being a friend. We all have mental health and we will all need support during tough times at some point in our lives.

Resources

• To help a friend who is struggling with mental health problems, express your concern and support and remind them that help is available and that mental health conditions can be treated. If they need help finding services, suggest that they call their family doctor, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-274-TALK (8255), text "Hopeline" 839863 (The Center for Suicide Awareness), or call United Way's
  2-1-1 directory to be connected with community resources. They can also visit findtreatment.samhsa.gov to find local treatment providers, free or low-cost services, payment/insurance options, languages available, and other information.

 

• If you’re concerned that you or a loved one may be experiencing a mental health condition, there are free and anonymous screenings available online at www.mentalhealthamerica.net/mental-health-screening-tools. Screening is an anonymous, free and private way to learn about your mental health and if you are showing warning signs of a mental condition. A screening only takes a few minutes, and after you are finished you will be given information about the next steps you should take based on the results. A screening is not a diagnosis, but it can be a helpful tool for starting a conversation with your doctor or a loved one about your mental health.

You can help end the silence and stigma around mental illness that discourages people from getting help. This is a month to make a difference in our communities. Let’s rethink how we talk about mental health and remember that there is no health without mental health.

BWell2Excel: Using “Wellness Screen” to address high school students’ emotional wellness

High school can be a stressful, yet exciting time for many students. From homework, 8+ hours with peers and teachers, exams, and extracurricular activities, there are many opportunities for students to feel overwhelmed or stressed with having to juggle so many things, not to mention trying to figure out who they are as individuals! This fall, re:TH!NK and the Winnebago County Health Department are excited to support Samaritan Counseling Center in their implementation of the Connected Community Wellness Screen in Oshkosh West and Oshkosh North high schools. In collaboration with re:TH!NK’s Healthy Lifestyles committee, the Connected Community Wellness Screen is a free and voluntary resource for students who want to have a mental health “check-in” and is a great program to ensure mental well-being for students.

How does the Connected Community Wellness Screen work? 

Parental Consent & Sign-Up

The Wellness Screen is targeted toward ninth grade students but is available to all high school students through referral and parental and student consent. Parents at Oshkosh West and North schools received information about the Wellness Screen in their registration packets and can sign a permission slip to have their student screened. Throughout fall 2014, two counselors from Samaritan Counseling Center will be at Oshkosh North and West one day a week to screen students whose parents have signed them up.

The Day of the Screening

Students are called down to the screening room and go through a consent process with a counselor. The student learns about what the screening is and can decide whether or not they’d like to participate. If the student declines the screening, the student is sent back to their class and the parent will be notified that their student did not participate. If the student assents to the screening, they begin a short 10-minute computerized questionnaire that asks about vision, hearing, and dental problems, symptoms of depression and anxiety, suicidal thinking and behavior, attentional problems and disruptive behavior, and any use of drugs and alcohol. After the questionnaire, the students meet one-on-one with a counselor to go over their responses and any concerns the student may have. If the student does not show any signs of needing help, they meet briefly with a counselor to debrief. If the student does show signs of needing help, they will meet with a trained mental health professional in private to determine if further evaluation would be helpful. 

Follow-Up

A case manager of the screening will only contact parents if further evaluation is recommended for their student and parents can decide if they want to obtain additional services. All results of the screening are confidential and will not be stored with students’ academic records. 

Hannah Episcopo, a counselor from Samaritan Counseling, speaking about Wellness Screen and stress and coping skills during a freshman health class at Oshkosh West High School.

Feedback from Students

So far, we’ve screened eight students at Oshkosh West and six at Oshkosh North high schools, though we have many more to do. From the students I’ve seen at Oshkosh West, the overall response has been really positive. Since I’m an AmeriCorps member with re:TH!NK and the Winnebago County Health Department, and not a licensed counselor, my role in the screening process has been to make sure it all goes smoothly. I make sure the students know where to go when they’re called down to the screening room and walk them through the consent process and answer any questions. A few students didn’t know that their parents signed them up for the screening, but after learning more about it and asking questions, they all seemed eager to take it and interested in the results. All of the students seemed comfortable talking to the counselors and students who brought up any struggles they were having seemed relieved after “venting”. The two counselors who are at Oshkosh West and North have been really great with the students and they always seem to get the students laughing and comfortable. The counselors really try to get to know the students and let them know that there is help available if they want it. From my perspective, the Wellness Screen seems like a great opportunity for students to talk about what they’re going through and relieve some of the pressure they feel.

Why is Wellness Screen so important in Winnebago County?

In a perfect world, everyone could get yearly (or more frequently) mental health “check-ups”, just as we should for the rest of our bodies. If the approach to physical health included mental health, I believe that we would live in a much healthier and happier community. Unfortunately, there often seems to be a disconnect in addressing what goes on in our brains compared to the rest of our bodies and many people’s mental illnesses go unchecked. That’s why I believe the Wellness Screen is so important in our schools. Students, with parental permission, can access a free, voluntary, and confidential mental health check-up just to make sure things are going ok for them in their transition to high school and adulthood. Teens encounter so many stressors and pressures throughout their days, and having Wellness Screen as a check-in can be so beneficial.

Without checking in on our mental health, many individuals may experience mental illness without ever seeking out treatment. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in four adults, about 61.5 million Americans, experience mental illness in a given year. However, only one-third of those adults with a mental illness will seek professional help (NIH & NIMH). While there can be multiple reasons behind not seeking out mental health care, from financial inability, lack of access, stigma, or denial, 2/3 of people with a diagnosable mental illness are not receiving care. Can you imagine if 2/3 of people diagnosed with cancer did not seek out care? Or 2/3 of people with broken bones did not receive care? I think it’s time we start seeing mental health as important to our overall health just as we do with our physical health.

The Wellness Screen also addresses a very real risk in teen’s lives: suicide. The Wellness Screen can identify early indicators of risk of suicide and can provide intervention to teens going through tough emotional times. And unfortunately, we are all too familiar with the toll suicide has on our communities. According to the Burden of Suicide in Wisconsin Report published in 2014, there were 106 deaths by suicide between 2007-2011 in Winnebago County, a rate of about 14.5%.  Specifically for teens, suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 15-24 in Wisconsin. Additionally, 90% of youth who died by suicide also suffered from a treatable mental illness. Our hope is that we can begin to support these teens who are dealing with a mental illness before they make a permanent life decision.

“No health without mental health” may be a catchy slogan, but it is so true. There are so many ways that our mental well-being affects our physical health and vice versa. If students are unable to deal with all the stress and pressure they have, it will begin to take a toll on their bodies. Our hope is that Wellness Screen will get students talking about their stresses and mental health struggles in order to get them on a path toward being healthy. By giving students a chance to “vent” and talk about their problems, we might be able to better address what their needs are. With Wellness Screen, we are one step closer toward being a community that believes that suicide is preventable and that overall health includes mental health.

For more information about the impact of stress and mental health issues on students' academic performance, see http://www.samaritan-counseling.com/pdf/Mental-Health-and-Academic-Achievement.pdf