There are also some pretty scary things in it about teenage behaviors, such as self harm and bulimia, which should be addressed because that can lead to a lifetime of pain and hurt.
A study of 1,192 youths in the UK aged 12-17 was conducted by www.mentaline.com to find out about their opinions on mental health matters. Just over 1 in 10 young people, or 11%, in the UK think of “mental illness” as trendy according to this study. A press release in PRLog tells it all, 1 in 10 teens think mental illness is ‘fashionable’.
Regarding these youngsters who thought “mental illness” the thing:
34 % lied about having a “mental illness” in the past
32 % stated they knew somebody with a “real” mental health issue
49 % thought “mental illness” made you unique
16 % said celebrity sufferers gave “mental illness” it’s chic appeal
25 % just thought “mental illness” was cool
07 % thought they had a “mental illness”
61 % thought mental health should be taken very seriously
The 34% that admitted to pretending to have some kind of mental health problem in the past were asked to specify what the issue was. The top five problems were as follows:1. Eating disorders – 22%2. Self-harming – 17%3. Addiction – 13%4. Depression – 12%5. Bipolar Disorder– 9%
And the winner is…Eating disorders by a length.
I cannot help but wonder if this is the way teens think in the UK, can the US be far behind?
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9 comments:
How frustrating to read this, being someone who suffers from many mental health issues... it is NOT chic, it is NOT cool, it is NOT the "in-thing"... it all boils down to ignorance.... sigh...
Christine
Adolescence is the period we don't want to be "normal".
I can understand and this is not new.
I remember that when I was a teenager there was a disease that required taking Valium (diazepam) and we found that very good.
The problem now is that these kids can e prescribed the drugs that can alter body, mind and soul.
It is a very serious problem.
Self-harm is considered fashionable. Johnny Deep and some other celebrities did that so...
Adolescence is the period we don't want to be "normal".
I can understand and this is not new.
I remember that when I was a teenager there was a disease that required taking Valium (diazepam) and we found that very good.
The problem now is that these kids can e prescribed the drugs that can alter body, mind and soul.
It is a very serious problem.
Self-harm is considered fashionable. Johnny Deep and some other celebrities did that so...
I would like to know in what context were the questions in the survey asked...because this is absolutely ridiculous. They think mental illness is cool?. They can have mine...meds and all.
I can see how celebrities having a mental illness would be perceived as being glam by a couple of star struck teens: Lindsay Lohan is loosing it...that sooooo rad!!.
If you're mentally ill, your bad behavior and all the drama can be blamed on a bad brain, which you cannot be held responsible for. You're also not held to the same standards as others. What a deal in a country that has become an overbearing nanny state.
I don't see how ANYONE can see mental illness as glamorous. I'd do anything to be rid of it.
That's so disheartening. I would give anything to be rid of depression! Their opinion really makes light of what we go through - of our pain, our struggles, our constant challenges. It kind-of reminds me of how sometimes little kids think having a cast on a broken arm would be cool, they don't see the pain or discomfort, just a cool cast that people can write on.
I don't understand how mental illness can be seen as cool at all. I'm 19 so I'm not that long out of high school and I remember keeping my mental health issues completely hidden for years and being so afraid other students would find out. Why would anyone want to have a mental illness anyway- having one has cost me so much.
This brings to mind the new commercials about mental illness created by SAMHSA. There is one where one teenage guy is shaving his teenage friend's back and they make a sort of joke out of how weird the friend is. I don't get the point of educating people by making light of mental illness by making a joke out of it because the joke might be "cool" and get the attention of young people. Meanwhile suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. And mental illness is hardly fun.
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