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National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Alliance on Mental Illness. A self-help organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with a serious mental illness. KEY MESSAGE: You are not alone. support. education. advocacy. Overview of Talk. Rationale for mental illness school education

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National Alliance on Mental Illness

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  1. National Alliance on Mental Illness A self-help organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with a serious mental illness KEY MESSAGE: You are not alone • support • education • advocacy

  2. Overview of Talk • Rationale for mental illness school education • Warning signs of mental illness • Stigma associated with mental illness • How the Breaking the Silence school education project teaches about mental illness

  3. BREAKING THE SILENCE: Teaching the Next Generation about Mental Illness • Recognize the warning signs of mental illness • Learn that mental illness is treatable • Fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness

  4. The importance of mental illness education • Mental illness is not generally included in the school health curriculum. • At least 1 in 5 adults suffer from a mental illness in a given year – Surgeon General’s Report 2000 • 5 of the 10 leading causes of lifetime disability are mental illnesses – and depression leads a list that includes bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, and substance abuse. Global Burden of Disease Study, 1990 • Illnesses like AIDS and breast cancer affect far less people, but ARE an accepted part of the health curriculum • Substance abuse is regularly taught, but without reference to mental illness which is often a co-occurring disorder

  5. How common is mental illness in children & adolescents? • 1 in 10 children and adolescents suffer from a mental illness requiring treatment • Before the age of 14 half who will develop a major mental illness are already showing symptoms • Of those needing it less than 1 in 5 will receive treatment • Suicide is the third leading cause of death in teenagers ages 15 to 24. Surgeon General’s Report - 2001

  6. Impact of Untreated Mental Illness in the Classroom • Inattentive students • Poor attendance • Bullying • Disruptive behavior • Weak social skills

  7. Mental illness affects people from all walks of life, regardless of age, race, income, religion, or education • Mental illnesses are no fault brain disorders Jessica Lynch Miss New York State 2004

  8. What are some of the mental illnesses that affect young people? • MOOD DISORDERS – depression, bipolar disorder • THOUGHT DISORDERS – schizophrenia, bipolar disorder • ANXIETY DISORDERS – examples: phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder • EATING DISORDERS – anorexia, bulimia

  9. What are the warning signs of mental illness? • Dramatic changes in behavior • Persist over an extended period of time • Affect quality of life • Typical symptoms • Personality and extreme mood changes • Changes in sleep and eating patterns • Inability to concentrate and cope • Extreme anxiety and irrational fears • Bizarre behavior and speech • Social isolation • Reckless and uncontrolled behavior • Suicidal thoughts and actions

  10. Let’s talk aboutStigma

  11. Stigma Deeply Rooted in Our Culture • Every socioeconomic group tends to devalue people with mental illness • Stereotypes reinforced by the media --Television -- Radio -- Press -- Commercials/print ads -- Movies

  12. Stereotype of violence • People with mental illness are frequently portrayed as villains in TV and movies • On soap operas 2/3 of people with a mental illness are portrayed as violent • More likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators • One out of six people with a mental illness has been a victim of a violent crime Jack Nicholson in the movie The Shining

  13. Stigma Learned at Early Age • Children’s media parallels adult stereotypes • Predominant image is violent, fear producing • Message is that isolation not treatment is the answer Sheldon Silverstein, Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book

  14. Impact of stigma on access to care and opportunities • Second class status of mental health coverage • Scarcity of child psychiatrists – only 6,000 • Lack of housing leads to homelessness • Limited job opportunities • College acceptance may be impacted if mental illness is disclosed • Not enough money for research

  15. How does stigma affect someone struggling with mental illness? • Feelings of shame and isolation • Loss of friends • Future thrown off course – education, profession, marriage • Lowers self-esteem

  16. How are families affected by stigma? • Feelings of secrecy and shame • Difficult to get family member to accept treatment • Family becomes isolated from friends and extended family • NAMI study showed that 70% of their members’ marriages ended in divorce

  17. How are siblings affected by stigma? • Loss of relationship with brother or sister • Am I responsible? • Feelings of neglect • Survivors guilt • Will I get it? • Fearful of classmates and friends finding out

  18. What impact does stigma and mental illness have on schools? • Families afraid to disclose psychiatric problems • Teachers often not trained to recognize or handle mental illness in the classroom • School personnel fearful of speaking to parents about psychological problems

  19. BREAKING THE SILENCE: Teaching the Next Generation About Mental Illness • For three grade levels: upper elementary, middle school, and high school • Each grade level packet includes lessons with fully scripted questions and responses, posters, games and definitions. • User friendly and fully scripted • Lessons are story based • Emphasis on serious mental illness

  20. Following up in the classroom • Suggested cross-curricular activities • Topics for further study • Annotated book/video lists • Recommended websites for further exploration of the topic

  21. Elementary School - Fighting Stigma Lisa’s story • Lisa’s brother who is seeing a psychiatrist is called “a mental” by an insensitive classmate Stay-at-Home Mondays • Jessica, who suffers from depression is isolated and treated abusively by her peers Knock-Knock Who’s There? • David suffers in silence as caretaker for his formerly fun loving mom who is in a deep depression Role plays • Using brain puppets students practice listening and responding empathetically – Listen, Care, Ask, Suggest

  22. Middle School – Fighting Stigma Stop Pretending Poems • Poems illustrate the cruelty of other students who make jokes about the author’s older sister who has developed bipolar disorder. Famous Persons with Mental Illness Word Search • Includes names such as Lincoln, Mark Twain, and Monica Seles who suffered from a mental illness The Brain Game • A board game in which teams compete in answering review questions. Game cards provide multiple examples of stigmatizing and stigma busting behavior.

  23. High School – Fighting Stigma Ross Szabo – bipolar disorder • Director of Youth Outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign • Ross travels around the country to college campuses educating people about mental illness • Featured in stories in Seventeen and Parade magazines Jessica Lynch - depression • Miss NYS 2004 • Made mental illness her platform Meera Popkin – schizophrenia • Actress. Major roles in London and Broadway productions • Continued to pursue her musical theatre career despite her illness Ross Szabo Lectures at colleges

  24. Elementary School – Symptoms of Mental Illness Stay at Home Mondays – depression • Multiple moves caused Jessica to withdraw socially • Didn’t want to go to school • Complained of aches and pains • Suicidal thoughts Knock-Knock Who’s There • Mom’s dramatic change in behavior • Unable to cope with functions of daily living • Can’t get out of bed. Sleeps too much. Brains Can Get Sick Too poster

  25. Middle School – Symptoms of Mental Illness A Mother’s Day Gift • Story of a high school student’s struggle with schizophrenia. • Extreme anxiety • Bizarre and obsessive behavior • Deterioration in grooming • Grades went down. Couldn’t concentrate. • Delusions – The CIA was after him. Nothing to Sneeze At • Story of Emily’s resistance to acknowledging her OCD • Fear of contamination • Counting rituals • Excessive hand washing • Late to school The Brain Game • Team competition questions include symptoms

  26. High School – Symptoms of Mental Illness Schizophrenia as a Thought Disorder • Delusions – paranoid thoughts • Hallucinations – auditory & visual • Excerpts from books, short stories --Lori Schiller told by TV it was her responsibility to save the world. --Brandon Fitch felt covers on magazine covers were jumping out a him --Colors too intense to bear --Couldn’t block out background noise Are These the Normal Ups and Downs of Adolescence or Mental Illness? --Students asked to distinguish normal from abnormal behavior Warning signs of Mental Illness Poster

  27. All Levels – Treatment works Elementary • “Brains can get sick too, but with treatment they can get better” poster • Lisa’s brother in “Lisa’s Story” is being treated for his mental illness • Treatment for mental illness compared to treatment for other illnesses such as heart disease. Middle School • “Nothing to Sneeze At” ends with Emily agreeing to see a therapist. • Story describes a form of behavioral therapy used to treat people with OCD. • In “A Mother’s Day Gift” Brian requires hospitalization High School • Introductory lesson goes into detail about comparative success rates for treatment of mental illness compared to heart disease. • Examples of young people being successfully treated for mental illness. .

  28. National Health Education Standards support teaching about mental illness STUDENTS WILL: • Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention. • Demonstrate the ability to access valid health information and health promoting products and services. • Analyze the influence of culture, media and technology and other factors on health. • Demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.

  29. How teachers can integrate mental illness into the existing curriculum • Teach tolerance toward people with mental illness as part of anti-bullying/ character education curriculum • Integrate into Substance Abuse curriculum. At least half the people with mental illness self-medicate by using drugs or alcohol

  30. Why teach students about mental illness? • Recognize warning signs in themselves and others • Encourage early treatment • Combat the stigma that surrounds mental illness • Discourage bullying and abusive behavior • Create a more compassionate and concerned society

  31. HELP EDUCATEYOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS

  32. Contact us for more information BREAKING THE SILENCE NAMI Queens/Nassau 1981 Marcus Avenue, C-117 Lake Success, NY 11042 (516) 326-0797 or (718) 347-7284 www.btslessonplans.org

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