The greatest problem today with mental health disorders is the stigma that comes with them. Removing these stigmas and prejudices could help to improve the care mental health patients need, and this can only be done through awareness. Awareness wouldn't necessarily prevent mental health disorders, but it would send out a message to the people who suffer with these things that it is okay, and there is help out there for them. It would also remove the judgements they would face from others, and help others to better understand what they are going through. Many people feel as though, if they speak up and tell someone about the problems they are facing, they will be judged or treated differently. I believe that with more awareness towards their situations, people would be less likely to judge and more inclined to help as opposed to treat them differently in a negative sense. Placing more presentations and talks from people who have gone through similar situations into schools would help to accomplish this as posters don't do justice.
Along with awareness, funding must also come from the government. Without more money being provided for mental health, there would be less care available for students and others with these same mental health disorders. There will always be plenty of people who need as much help as they can get, so by continuing to give money to such an important thing, more people would be able to get better. With larger amounts of money, hospitals would also be able to provide even better care and would be able to find new ways to help out. Much more could be done for care for these individuals than is happening now.
For those still in school, more youth workers and guidance counsellors should be available. Having one is wonderful, but with 20% of the school either suffering from mental illness now, or are going to do so in the future, more help should be provided. One person is not necessarily capable of handling that many situations at once and there will be times when more than one person needs help and that help cannot be provided for both. Junior High and High School is also around the time when these mental illnesses begin developing or showing up, and with hundreds of students in a school there is a necessity for these youth workers and guidance counsellors. Of course, not all students will be comfortable with approaching these adults for help, but the more options a student has for help, the more opportunities they will have to take it. Providing awareness, more funding, and more help for these students across Canada would greatly improve the struggle they have with mental health disorders.
