World Mental Health Day

October 10 is world mental health day.

Mental health is just another form of physical health. Greater awareness of its importance is breaking down barriers for people to take pre-emptive measures to enhance their mental health, as well as seek help when they are not ok or be willing to share that they are recovering.

The World Health Organization (WHO) outlined in 2018, "Half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, but most cases go undetected and untreated." The WHO outlined in their "Adolescent mental health" factsheet, September 2020, the impact of not addressing adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting the ability to lead fulfilling adult lives.

Tend your patch by Jacob Dudman | A poem for #WorldMentalHealthDay

Breaking down barriers to being open about our own mental health is important, and for children, sometimes it is encouraging to see people they admire talk openly about mental health. Therefore it was refreshing to see the stars of Formula 1 make this video.

The USA Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health, December 2021, recognized there is a youth mental health crisis, that was further exposed by Covid-19. The advisory outlines a series of recommendations to improve youth mental health across eleven sectors, including young people and their families, educators and schools, and media and technology companies. Topline recommendations include:

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Recognize that mental health is an essential part of overall health.

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Empower youth and their families to recognize, manage, and learn from difficult emotions.

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Ensure that every child has access to high-quality, affordable, and culturally competent mental health care.

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Support the mental health of children and youth in educational, community, and childcare settings. And expand and support the early childhood and education workforce.

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Address the economic and social barriers that contribute to poor mental health for young people, families, and caregivers.

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Increase timely data collection and research to identify and respond to youth mental health needs more rapidly. This includes more research on the relationship between technology and youth mental health, and technology companies should be more transparent with data and algorithmic processes to enable this research.

Our team at ZAP ⚡️ wish for you a relaxing World Mental Health Day and going forward you and the children around you give mental health the attention it deserves.