Talking about Mental Health
Goals of this Module
- Understand that we all have a state of mental health just as we have a state of physical health – and how it can vary;
- Identify those things that can have positive and negative effects on our state of mental health and that they are similar for us all;
- Discover how, by talking about our mental health, we can understand ourselves, support each other and reduce stigma.
We can find it hard to talk about mental health.
Q: Write down some of the reasons for this.
- There may be stigma attached to the term or talking about it;
- Culturally, it may not be acceptable;
- It may be seen as a sign of weakness;
- We worry what people think of us;
- We automatically think of mental illness;
- We don’t have the language or words to describe how we are feeling.
It is important that we do talk about mental health, and when we do:
- It has a positive effect on our health;
- We realise that we may all struggle at some point in our lives;
- We can recognise where our own mental health is and get support and help when required;
- We learn from each other and get other people’s views;
- We focus better. If you are worried or distracted you may not pay attention at work which can cause accidents;
- We find that it's so much better to live and work in a supportive, understanding environment.
We all have a state of physical health and a state of mental health
First, think about your physical health. We all have a state of physical health - agreed?
Q: Think about your physical health right now and how healthy you feel?
Our physical health changes all the time.
Q: Think of a time when your physical health was better or worse.
Why? What has changed between then and now?
We can think of our state of mental health in exactly the same way.
We often talk as if other people have mental health – “them and us” and this is where some of the stigma comes from.
The fact is, we all have a state of mental health – all of us, everyone!
Just like physical health, mental health changes all the time. Our mental health can be anywhere on this scale at any time.
Remember:
- You move up and down the scale all the time, we all do;
- Your state of mental health can change rapidly from day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute; one moment you are struggling and next the problem lifts and you are feeling positive again and vice versa;
- We all struggle at times – this is a part of life. It’s good to know what help and support is available to help you to resolve the problems;
- I in 4 people have a mental illness at some point in their life, such as depression, anxiety etc. These are treatable and with the right support people can get back to normal mental health again;
- We are all somewhere on the scale all the time:
We all have a state of mental health.
Q: Where are you right now?
Put a mark in your own book or on the printed sheet if available.
Are you happy to share where you are with the rest of the team right now?
Exercise 1: "What does it feel like when I'm..."
Q: List the feelings of what it's like when you feel you are thriving and what it's like when you feel you are struggling
Exercise 2: Positive and Negative Influencers
Think now about what factors improve your mental wellbeing and what factors have a negative impact, e.g. home, work, friends and family etc. Write down your own factors before sharing
Share with the rest of the team:
Q: In your own lists, which factors are represented in both columns? Why could this be the case?
It's important to recognise these factors in order to help you to manage your state of mental health
Q: When you compare your influencers with those of your colleagues, what are the similarities between your factors and theirs?
Are there any surprises?
You probably found that:
- You have similar factors on both sides, as they can have both a positive and a negative impact on your state of mental health;
- The factors you have are the same or very similar to those of your colleagues;
This goes to show that:
WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND WE ALL HAVE SIMILAR FACTORS WHICH IMPACT OUR STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH.
When we recognise this we can start to break down the barriers about mental health, learn to talk about it and help each other.
Summary
- We all have a state of mental health the same way we have a state of physical health;
- Your state of mental health can change constantly and it's good to recognise the positive and negative influencers on it;
- Understanding that we all have a state of mental health and that at times we can struggle allows us to help ourselves and each other.
Additional Reading and Information
Seafarer Resilience Modules 1 - 13 [Maritime Partners in Safety/Care for People]: go back and recap these as they have lots of information and exercises to help you to improve your state of mental health;
ISWAN: Psychological Wellbeing at Sea
Sailors' Society: Wellness at Sea app