Mental health literacy can be taught in grade school. | Wendy Smith | TEDxLincolnSquare

[@billwong6077]

This is a very much needed topic. Thank you for bringing it to society's attention. As an occupational therapist (and a 2x TEDx Talker) I know we can play a big role in children mental health, including mental health literacy. We have the knowledge and skills to support such efforts in the community level.

[@dcw4906]

Awesome message. What a better country we would live in if mental health were a priority.

[@lloydsmith3466]

With so many school shootings, it seems school and government officials would take notice. Take this message to them. Great talk. LHS

[@allanparsons7588]

Lloyd Smith as long as its without drugs and religion

[@GailTolstoiMiller]

Awesome talk! Very important message that we need to scream to the schools!

[@anjannath6806]

V useful talk by Smith mam thanks

[@swapnaranimohapatra9624]

Most important message for us

[@kumudinibehera982]

Most important message for us

[@Hooplahoma]

One of the best things we can do to address mental health issues with kids is to talk with them about it. Let them know their emotions are valid. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to recognize anger and process it. So many people have a bad habit of telling kids they "shouldn't be sad" which can make a kid feel like there is something wrong with them for having regular emotions. This can lead to all kinds of problems with anxiety and depression later on. Talking about mental health to kids and making sure they feel okay talking about their emotions seems like a good idea.

[@ferociousgumby]

Our culture's attitude towards mental illness is simply appalling. Just listen in on the conversations you hear every single day. Seeing someone in obvious pain, people often say things like, "Oh, it's just a whack job." "Nut bar." "Head case." We name-call and label the mentally ill in a way we NEVER would do with different racial or ethnic groups or even differently oriented/gender-fluid groups. It's done very casually, as if we're just talking about a "thing" and not a person. It does not even occur to the person who is using terms like "whack job" that he/she is talking about an individual who is fully human, someone's daughter or son, sister or brother, and someone with intrinsic value/worth. I have seen (for sale on Amazon even now) "mental patient" Halloween costumes with straightjackets, syringes, and signs that say, "Danger! Escaped mental patient!'" Mental hospitals are seen as creepy, terrifying dungeons where you "put away" people who don't belong or are too scary to be walking around. And this is in 2017! In the next breath, these same people will then say, "Why don't more people reach out for help? We can't help them if they don't ask for it." www.amazon.com/Mens-Straight-Jacket-Costume-White/dp/B002FRJBEM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493961662&sr=8-2&keywords=mental+patient+costumes

[@lilolivialil]

There's a spelling error in the title btw

[@lilolivialil]

loool yeah

[@Noyb55]

Who cares ? The message is more important than a spelling mistake imo .

[@markb43752000]

most childhood mental illness is a crock. there is no reason for so many kids to be on psychotropic meds

[@ThoughtProvokingVlogs]

Or most people in general. A lot of mental illnesses are lack of self-awareness or a lack of ability to be able to face their shame, trauma, etc.

[@givealittlenow]

Mental illness is a host of well-researched biological conditions impacting how we think, feel, and act. It is scientifically incorrect and tremendously painful to the millions of people around the world who suffer from these disorders to spread false information like that expressed above.

[@ailsa2434]

@@ThoughtProvokingVlogs Admittedly I don't know much about how mental health illnesses are diagnosed, but there is a difference between mental health illness (MHI) and mental health problems (MHP). MHPs are what you're describing. Those are difficulties a person may experience, such as trauma, bereavement, job loss etc. which impact your emotions intensely and may require support to deal with. This can increase risk for developing MHI, but isn't an illness in and off itself. MHI is actually an illness, just like cancer, only the illness is to do with how your brain functions. It isn't the same as difficult circumstances. In these cases, professional intervention is essential, because these illnesses don't get better on their own. If MHPs are diagnosed as MHIs, then there's a problem. I don't know if that's ever the case or not. But MHIs are diagnosable. Normal everyday stresses would be categorised as Mental Distress, and these are healthy and help provide resilience. I hope this helps :) It's really important to make this distinction. Mental health literacy is something I'm just learning about myself, so this is pretty new to me too.

[@raniaatalla8808]

Great message. Much needed. Thank you.

[@huyenle7242]

Very important message. I hope we can do the same in Asia.

[@johnuppole]

I wish governments and schools had taken this Ted Talk a bit more seriously