It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

Oct 11

Written by: Kittana Wagener

Research by: Velika Yasay | Edited by: Mackenzie Olivo

Article from: Unicef Unite at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa

Mental Health is a term that has recently come up in this generation. But what exactly is mental health? And how do we take care of our mental health? According to the World Health Organization, Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community.”

The generation that has been exposed to economic declines, terrorist attacks, mass-shootings and pandemic is now showing a higher tendency to have mental illness or display signs of depression. Therefore, taking the time to reflect and declutter the mind has become paramount.

Trends in the United States show youth mental health is worsening with an increase in depression and anxiety among children 6-17 between 2003 to 2012. According to Mental Health America, Hawai’i ranks 25th in youth ranking in mental health in 2020. The reason for such numbers could be the lack of treatment for depression in youths aged 12-17 (69.9%). Around 9% of adolescents reported feeling depressed from 2010-2014. This is not taking into account those who have not been reported, and the true percent of those feeling depressed could be quite higher.

The pandemic alone has negatively impacted people’s mental health. According to The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Mental Health: A Brief by the United for Global Mental Health, those who tested positive for COVID-19 have begun to cope with fear and anxiety. In a survey done by United for Global Mental Health, 34.7% of those hospitalized for COVID-19 in China had symptoms of anxiety and 28.4% of those had symptoms of depression.

With today being World Mental Health Day (October 10th), UNICEF Unite decided to team up with student-led mental health organization Chasing Happy, founded by Sammy Yee. Yee started this organization as a way of honoring her cousin, who she lost to suicide from losing their battle to depression and anxiety. Yee initiated Chasing Happy with the intention of changing others’ perspectives on the future of mental health. Chasing Happy has become a safe place to help those struggling with mental health, give hope, and work on suicide prevention.

On the website, there is a contact tab that allows people to anonymously vent or talk to someone if a person is having suicidal thoughts or struggling. It is a way of being there for those who are in need of emotional support and providing resources for those looking for treatment. Yee says, “With a negative stigma going back decades, people were only taught to keep your thoughts to yourself and not share with others. This causes us to become more ashamed of mental health and be afraid of being called weak.”

Yee, who also works as a pair-professional for children with disabilities, is knowledgeable on how mental health can be addressed best within the school system due to its early exposure to the conversation of mental health.

The introduction of the conversation encourages kids at an early age and to be able to ask for help. “Growing up, no one talked about mental health. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Depression and Severe Panic Anxiety Disorder freshman year of high school,” Yee said. The Chasing Happy creator encourages workshops and programs that incorporate mental health in the curriculum in schools to increase mental health awareness.

For those struggling with mental health, Yee advises, “Keep your chin up and that the way that you feel now, the way that you feel in one instance, is not the way that you are going to feel for the rest of your life.”

Always remember that you are never alone and it is okay to not be okay.

Citations

Mental Health America. 2021. 2020 Ranking the States.

2020 Ranking the States | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)

Behavioral Health Barometer - SAMHSA. (n.d.). October 10, 2021.

https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/2015_Hawaii_BHBarometer.pdf

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH: A BRIEF. Mental Health Statistics Worldwide. (n.d.).October 10, 2021.

The+Impact+Of+Covid-19+On+Global+Mental+Health+Report.pdf (unitedgmh.org)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, March 22). Data and Statistics on Children's Mental Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. October 10, 2021.

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html