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“MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AMONG YOUTH”

November 28, 2020

Prepared For
Ma’am Marriam Minhas

Comsats University

Prepared By
Myra Hassan FA19-BBA-189

Rabia Ahmad FA19-BBA-198

M. Subhan Malik FA19-BBA-176

Muqadas Naeem FA19-BBA-186

Rubab Dar FA19-BBA-202

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Table of Contents

Table of Figures.........................................................................................................3

Abstract.....................................................................................................................4

Introduction...............................................................................................................4

Anxiety Disorders................................................................................................5
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.........................................................................5
Schizophrenia......................................................................................................5
Bipolar Disorder..................................................................................................5
Statement of the Problem..........................................................................................6

Significance of the Study..........................................................................................6

Limitations and Scope of the Study..........................................................................6

Methods.....................................................................................................................7

Findings.....................................................................................................................7

Discussion.................................................................................................................9

Results.....................................................................................................................10

Recommendations...................................................................................................11

Promoting Connectedness...........................................................................11
Increasing Help Seeking Behavior in Institutions.......................................12
Boosting an Individual’s Self-Esteem.........................................................12
Conclusion...............................................................................................................13

References...............................................................................................................13

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Table of Figures

Figure 1 - Depression in Pakistan....................................................................................................8

Figure 2- Disorders through Lifetime..............................................................................................9

Figure 3 - Causes of Mental Illness...............................................................................................10

Figure 4 - Mental Health Awareness.............................................................................................13

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 Abstract
Aims: The aim of this study is to let the readers know about mental health issues and how can

mental health be promoted to avoid these below mentioned issues/concerns. Introduction:

Mental health is one of the most common issues faced by youth. It is directly linked with

behavioral pattern of a individuals. Several mental illnesses have been identified up till now.

They include depression, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD, bipolar

disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and many more. Methods: A detailed

research was done using different mental health awareness articles and survey. The surveys and

articles were mostly based on a sample size 50-100 and were conducted among teenagers and

young adults mostly ageing from 15-24 years of age. Different articles were read and researched

for information on the related topic. Results: 75% of the participants answered that they are

living a stressful life due to different reasons. Youngers generation is under more pressure and

stress than the other prior generations due to the difficulties, problems, and competition they face

every day which in the end leads to mental health problems among youth. Conclusion: Mental

health is a major concern not only in Pakistan but in the whole world and to overcome it this

report shreds light on mental health awareness and some methods to improve mental health.

Introduction
Mental health is a common issues faced by youth. This is directly linked with behavioral pattern
of an individual. This is the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It’s all about how

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people think, feel, and behave. Peak mental state is about not only avoiding active conditions but
also taking care of wellness and happiness. Social circumstances, biological factors, and lifestyle
choices also shape a person’s psychological state. A massive portion of individuals with a
psychological state disorder have one condition at a time. There are numerous mental health
issues faced by people all around the globe. Few common issues are discussed below:

 Anxiety Disorders

These are the most basic of all the psychological disorders. These are linked to

certain abnormalities in neurotransmitters of our brain i.e. serotonin and GABA.

There are many disorders like panic disorders, phobias, social anxiety etc.

 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCD is when people have recurring, unwanted thoughts or obsessions that make

them feel that they have to do something compulsively. People with OCD have a

tough time keeping their focus off the obsessions.

 Schizophrenia

This is a neurological disease that makes it difficult to differentiate between

reality and imagination, manage emotions, and performance. Individuals with

schizophrenia hide from the world, act confused and scared, and are at constant

risk of attempting suicide.

 Bipolar Disorder

This is often a disturbance that causes abnormal mood swings, shifts in energy,

concentration, and also the ability to hold out day-to-day tasks.

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Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to raise awareness among the people so that this issue be the illness

in order to manage it by the treatment.

Significance of the Study

Half of the youth across the world experience mental illness but now it’s time to change our

thinking about mental illness. Due to such conditions the common mental health awareness is

very important. Although the general perception about the mental health has changed over time

but it’s still a taboo subject due to media stereotypes and lack of education but mental illnesses

need to be seen just like other common medical diseases. Not accepting their mental health

condition is the main cause of suicides among youth. Awareness marks its importance here as it

will encourage people to come forward and talk about their problems and emphasize on

developing programmes so that youth can deal with it and may not feel reluctant about their

conditions. This way people would learn more about mental health illnesses which will allow us

to support those who are affected by this around us.

Limitations and Scope of the Study

A mental illness is not caused by a single event. It is limited to the researches that were used and

suggests multiple causes. Genetics, environment and lifestyle influence mental health condition.

A stressful life and traumatic events make people lean towards depression more. Our study

includes the data in detailed about the researches and survey collected from different sites that

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how youth is under the major pressure than others due to their many different everyday

problems.

Methods

A detailed research was done on different mental health awareness articles and survey. The

surveys and articles were mostly based on a sample size 50-100 and were conducted among

teenagers and young adults mostly ageing from 15-24. The surveys are prepared and

administered by different methods such as among students and people in the neighborhoods. The

articles are based on the findings of the survey came up with different conclusions on mental

health among youth. Results were statistically analyzed.

Findings
A police officer in Rawalpindi, a man in Rawalpindi two days after his marriage, and a girl in

Badin committed suicide, this shows that the vulnerability cuts through gender, social group and

age groups in Pakistan. There is a disturbing increment in the rate of mental illness because of a

constant rush of brutality all around the world. In Pakistan, the mental health problems have

increased because of the violent society and the unsettling in the social structure.

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 Figure 1 - Depression in Pakistan

According to reports, in 2012 around 13,000 people committed suicide in Pakistan. According to

this graph the highest depression rate is in Lahore which is 53.4% whereas in Karachi the least

people suffer from depression, 35.7%.

Approximately, around 50 million people in Pakistan suffer from mental disorders. Estimately,

36% of Pakistanis suffer from anxiety and depression while about 2.4% of the global population

suffers from bipolar disorder. Around 6.7 Mil adults use drugs and among these people the

majority is between the ages of 25-39 which suggest that they are young adults.

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 Figure 2- Disorders through Lifetime

This graph shows the percentage of men and women suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar

disorder and depressive illness respectively. According to this Men are more affected by

schizophrenia than women, whereas, Women mostly suffer from bipolar disorder and depression

throughout their lifetime.

Discussion
There is no single cause of mental illness. There are many factors which contribute to the risk of

mental illness such as psychological factors, social factors and biological factors. Psychological

factors are the factors related to our personality which limits or upgrade the ways that you think

which include self-esteem, facing loss, rape, parental conflict and domestic violence. Social

factors are the factors which are related to cultural background and current life situations. Some

of the social factors that may affect the person’s mental health are homelessness, families and

life events. Stressful life events in people can be defined as experiences that put either a person

or someone close to them at risk of serious harm or death. The mental illnesses that are caused

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by biological factors are linked to abnormal functioning of pathways that connect brain regions.

Some of the biological factors that affect the mental health are injury, dependency on drugs, poor

nutrition etc.

Figure 3 - Causes of Mental Illness

Results
The results are based on surveys on mental health awareness among teenagers and they were

asked if they prefer to spend most of their time on gadgets 90% of them answered yes. This

shows that electronic gadgets are one of the main causes of mental health issues among youth

that they make them physically and mentally weak. 70% of the individuals who answered to the

survey were single child to their parents, this clearly shows that single children are more stressed

and affected to mental health problems compared to others. On average 60% of the students in

the sample space have below average academic performance because of their parents forcing

them to do both extracurricular activities and get good grades.

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In another survey 65% of the youth expressed their individual interest to their parents but 80% of

the students on average feel like opening to their friends more than their parents which shows

their mindset. In these modern times individuals trust people who encourage them to do bad or

good. 75% of the participants answered that they are living a stressful life due to different

reasons. Youngers generation is under more pressure and stress than the other prior generations

due to the difficulties, problems, and competition they face every day which in the end leads to

mental health problems among youth

Conclusion
Mental health is a major concern worldwide. The aim of this report is to identify and evaluate

mental health awareness among youth but different methods and findings such as different

questionnaire and surveys. Despite so many surveys around the globe in different times the

mental health among youth is still a depressing concern and needs to be addressed in detail more

at international platforms. Protocols are needed to be developed in order to tackle and reduce

mental health disorders through awareness raising actions.

Recommendations
Raising awareness of mental health problems is just the start. It’s important to be aware of

something that affects a quarter of the population. Mental health a state of emotional well-being

that enables an individual to do well physically, allows them to function in society, work

productively, and cope with daily life stressors. If mental health awareness can be channeled in

to dealing with the issues around it, then that would be great. This can be done by;

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 Promoting Connectedness

Schools, colleges and universities should engage in a variety of activities designed

to increase the likelihood that a student in need will seek help easily.

 Increasing Help Seeking Behavior in Institutions

By engaging youth within their communities, schools, organizations and peer

groups.

 Boosting an Individual’s Self-Esteem

Strong will power and self-evaluation is important for mental and social

wellbeing. It plays an important role as it influences one’s aspirations, life goals

and how one interacts with others.

May is mental health awareness month. According to the WHO, neuropsychiatric

disorders are estimated to contribute to 13% of the global burden of disease. In fact, 1 out

of every 4 individuals in the world will be affected by a mental or neurological disorder

at some point in their life. In short, mental illness is very common and can affect anyone

and everyone.

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 Figure 4 - Mental Health Awareness

References
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Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154543

2. All about anxiety disorders: From causes to treatment and prevention. (2003, February 2).

Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1

3. Disturbing facts about mental health in Pakistan. (2020, February 16). Retrieved from

https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/614383-dispelling-myths-about-mental-health#:~:

4. Prevalence of depression among households in three capital cities of Pakistan: Need to revise

the mental health policy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figures?

id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000209

5. General causes of mental disorders. (2014, November 21). Retrieved from

https://www.slideshare.net/Akasuku/general-causes-of-mental-disorders

6. Mental disorders: MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://medlineplus.gov/mentaldisorders.html

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7. Yeewong Media, BHUTAN. (n.d.). Why Mental Health Awareness is Important [Video].

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijnMc94zPQQ

8. Burnett, D. (2018, May 15). Mental health: Awareness is great, but action is essential | Dean

Burnett. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-

flapping/2018/may/15/mental-health-awareness-is-great-but-action-is-essential

9. Promotion & prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://youth.gov/youth-topics/youth-mental-

health/mental-health-promotion-prevention

10. Promoting mental health. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/westernpacific/activities/promoting-mental-health#:~:text=There%20are

%20a%20number%20of,mental%20health%20interventions%20at%20work%3B

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