Is Mental Health Education Important?

If you’re a nursing or health student interested in helping others, getting a Bachelor’s or Master of Mental Health Nursing is a great idea.The right qualifications will help you pursue a fruitful career, land better jobs, and earn a good salary.

Mental health affects how we function and how we interact with our surroundings and other people. Poor mental health is a leading cause of several diseases and awful life quality. Knowing more about it allows professionals to help those ill and lead them to live better lives. Today, we shall look at why someone interested in the health field should consider opting for a mental health program.

What Is Mental Health?

Mental health covers social, emotional, and psychological well-being. It affects how a person thinks, acts, feels, deals with stress, relates to other individuals, and performs decision-making. Mental health is crucial at every life stage, right from childhood to adolescence and even adulthood. Poor mental health leads to disruptive behavior, mood, and thought patterns.

Life experiences, trauma, abuse, family history, gene structure, brain chemistry, and other biological factors may make a person more prone to depression. However, poor mental health is reversible, and patients can always recover and get better completely with the help of a professional.

Common Symptoms of Mental Health Patients

• Drug abuse
• Excessive sleeping or eating
• Severe mood swings
• Sudden or random pains and aches
• Feeling numbness and emptiness
• Low energy or excess fatigue
• Helplessness or hopelessness
• Having a surge of emotions like anger, worry, fear, sadness, or confusion
• Constant fights with family or friends
• Disbelief or hearing voices
• Suicidal thoughts or murderous thinking
• Failure to perform daily tasks

 

Why Get Mental Health Education?

Now that you are clear on what mental health is and what most patients often face when faced with this illness, it is time to look at the top reasons to get mental health education below:

Increase in Mental Health Patients

Mental health issues across the globe, especially in Australia, have seen a huge rise. This includes an increase in individuals with stress, depression, and anxiety problems.

The AIHW (Australian Institute for Health and Welfare) estimated in its 2017 to 2018 report that one in every five people have behavioral and mental health problems. It further stated that one in every eight people in South Wales also has anxiety or related issues. 1 in 10 people have bouts that are similar to depression.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to millions of people being quarantined. A huge impact on routine, earnings, and other factors led to a rise in mental health patients. This increased the need for mental health specialists to help such individuals.

• Mental health nurses aid people in fighting stigma
• They aid cross-cultural support and care
• They lend a hand in saving the lives of patients that have become suicidal or hopeless
• Nurses help patients deal with drug abuse and break out of negative thought patterns

 

Awareness Boosts Productivity in the Workplace

The BeyondBlue report showed that around 91% of Australian workers prioritize mental health, while 88% think physical well-being is more important. The same workers also shared that only 52% think their working environment is healthy and that 76% believe their environment is physically safe.

Nearly 75% of employees stated that their workplace should offer support for workers faced with depression and anxiety. Mental health awareness and professional help are likely to keep workers happy and boost productivity. Nearly 72% of individuals claimed that positive mental health is necessary for a productive workspace.

This makes it evident that all companies, businesses, and organizations should strive towards a mental health department with a mental health nurse or certified professional. A mental health degree owner is vital for all kinds of teams, and the huge scope makes tons of opportunities available. Getting a degree should help you cater to individuals in your own company or get hired at one that requires your skill set.

Technological Advancements

As more people become aware of mental health, there is hope for advancements. Even the tech and IT industries are leveraging technology to help provide better mental health services. A great example is telehealth. This allows you to speak to professionals via your PC or smartphone. A telehealth tool keeps your data safe while allowing you to connect to a mental health doctor remotely.

You can also find online mental health courses, seminars, and workshops that help establish peace. As someone with a degree in mental health, all these opportunities are exciting and excellent ways to earn money while helping others out from the comfort of your home.

Professional and Personal Growth

Learning about psychology and how the human mind functions are essential to obtaining mental health education. These subjects allow you to not only understand others but also gain a better understanding of your own emotions, thoughts, and well-being.

You will know how to help others and yourself during a crisis and formulate a recovery plan for future patients. Technical and soft skills that students learn while completing their mental health degree help foster additional skills like:

• Empathy or the ability to understand a patient’s emotions and needs. A nurse, doctor, or specialist can better relate to their clients
• Observational skills that help differentiate between nonverbal and verbal cues
• Strong communication skills, including verbal and written communication, allow professionals to be fit for various mental health careers
• Honesty and genuineness, so the patients trust their doctor and are willing to tell them more about their problems
• Steps to take to prevent suicides and self-harm attempts and thoughts in patients

You can get mental health education or a relevant degree not just to help others but also to help yourself. You also do not have to worry about being a perfect individual with no history of abuse or trauma to be able to become a doctor.

Remember that education and training will help you gain even better insight into mental health as you face many patients and various problems. All you need is passion and willingness to help others, whether you open up a clinic, become an assistant therapist, work at an office or organization, or even help individuals online.

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