The Importance of Mental Health Awareness

May is mental health awareness month. Since 1949 it has been used to educate people on mental health and destigmatize reaching out for help and therapy. The need for mental health awareness is huge, as a mental illness in teens can go unnoticed or unattended. According to WHO: “An estimated 10-20% of adolescents globally experience mental health conditions, yet these remain underdiagnosed and undertreated”.

We inquired our peer GZAAT students to see their perception of the importance of mental health awareness. One GZAAT student commented that “...People are still uneducated and refuse to believe that mental health is extremely important and affects our daily lives.” Mental health is important. Our days start and end with our relationship with our emotions. Many people to this day think of mental illness and talking about declining mental health - as shameful and something worth hiding. It’s too accepted to shun people who speak about their needs, even when it’s evident that without help a person might go deeper and deeper into the dark hole of a declining mental state.

Mental health is a person's relationship with their own mental and psychological well-being. It’s influenced by many things and can be drastically different for each person. One of the main stressors for student-aged people in school, specifically grades. Out of 56 GZAAT students, 100% of them said that grades affect their mental health. This is a loose indicator of the hold grades have on the well-being of students.

Whether it is pressure from parents, relatives, or even oneself, grades seem like the most important thing to some of our students and our peers. It’s important not to ignore someone who’s asking for help, or brush them off, or tell them to “get over it”. A person can’t just “get over” the fact that they’re not okay. Would a person with a broken leg be told to get over the pain? The same goes for people who find the courage in themselves to reach out, ask for help, even if it’s by beginning to talk about their problems with friends or family.

Some GZAAT students said this when asked why mental health awareness month is necessary to be taught:

“We need to spread awareness, information, and love. Mental health has been stigmatized throughout history and it should change. Mental illness is not a shame. Everyone should be able to reach out for help and receive the help needed.”

“To help create a safe and open space for students and teachers and ensure that everyone is mentally healthy.”.

“School is mentally and physically stressful so I guess reminding us that hey this is stressful, but you can talk about it and we'll try and help would help some people get that stress out.”

Students think of mental health as something worth being educated about - something that is not taboo anymore, and needs to be talked about for the sake of their health and happiness! Mental health awareness month is important to remind us, to remind people that it’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to need help, it’s okay to reach out. More so, it’s needed to create a thriving society where it’s not frowned upon to be stressed from the pressure in your life and where it’s not seen as being weak to not be okay.

If you are going through something, our school psychologist is available to talk. You can reach her by email, kmosashvili@aat.ge

If you feel helpless, keep holding on. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, even if you don’t see it yet.

Edited by Liza Jariashvili