Our mental health is fundamental to our overall health and well-being. Parents play a huge role in
supporting their child's mental well-being. Nurturing and loving care builds a strong foundation, helping
children develop the social and emotional skills they need to lead a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life.
Dispelling myths about mental health can help break the stigma often associated with mental health and
create a culture that encourages people of any age to seek support when they need it.
Here are some common misconceptions about mental health and the facts underlying it:
- Myth: If a person has a mental health condition, it means he has low intelligence.
Fact: Mental illness, like physical illness, can affect anyone regardless of intelligence, social class, or
income level.
- Myth: Everyone can benefit from taking active steps to promote their well-being and improve their
mental health. Similarly, everyone can take active steps and engage in healthy habits to optimize their
physical health.
Fact: Everyone can benefit from taking active steps to promote their well-being and improve their
mental health. Similarly, everyone can take active steps and engage in healthy habits to optimize their
physical health.
- Myth: Poor mental health is not a big issue for teenagers. They just have mood swings caused by
hormonal fluctuations and act to get attention.
Fact: Teenagers often have mood swings, but that does not mean that adolescents are not struggling
with their mental health.
- Myth: Nothing can be done to protect people from developing mental health conditions.
Fact: Strengthening social and emotional skills, seeking help and support early on, developing
supportive, loving, warm family relationships, having a positive school environment and healthy sleep
patterns can help and protect people from developing mental health conditions.
- Myth: A mental health condition is a sign of weakness; if the person were stronger, they would not
have this condition.
Fact: A mental health condition has nothing to do with being weak or lacking willpower. It is not a
condition people choose to have or not have. In fact, recognizing the need to accept help for a mental
health condition requires great strength and courage. Anyone can develop a mental health condition.
This article is based on UNICEF and the World Health Organization's Teacher’s Guide to the Magnificent
Mei and Friends Comic Series.