"Let's Talk About It": A public health approach to mental health awareness

The lifetime prevalence rate of mental disorders for individuals between the ages of 13 and 18 is 46.3%. For adolescents, a barrier to seeking mental health treatment is the stigma caused by society from a lack of understanding about the etiology of mental illnesses. “Let's Talk About It” was developed 3 years ago to address this public health concern. It's a middle school-based mental health awareness project that aims to increase adolescents' mental health knowledge, improve attitudes, cultivate self-efficacy, and thus reduce stigma. The program consists of ten school visits wherin a variety of mental health topics are presented. These include but are not limited to: depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse. One visit also provides students the opportunity to meet adolescent patients who suffer from mental illnesses. “Let's Talk About It” has been implemented at seven 8th grade classrooms across Miami-Dade County, FL. Student participants complete 4 questionnaires at the first and last visit: Assessment of Mental Health Knowledge, Assessment of Attitudes Pertaining to Mental Health, Mental Health Self Efficacy Questionnaire and Youth Efficacy/Empowerment Scale. After visiting with 8th graders weekly, we have found that they become more knowledgeable about mental health topics, develop a more positive attitude towards mental health issues, and are more confident about acting in a destigmatizing manner if faced with real-life scenarios involving a mental illness. In an effort to reduce the stigma associated with mental illnesses, middle-school-based mental health awareness projects like “Let's Talk About It” should be implemented at more schools.