Interview with Lancaster University Psychiatry Society on mental health

This week we have interviewed representative from Lancaster University Psychiatry Society, here is what they think about mental health:

• What does the Psychiatry Society do mainly regarding to mental health issue?

Lancaster Psychiatry Society is trying to break down the stigma surrounding mental health. We are doing this by holding regular events. We are a new society and are trying to get ourselves known on campus. Some events we have had so far include a stall at Roses 2016, where we got people to make links between sports and mental health- both the positive and negative impacts. We’ve also had stalls in Alex Square where we have given out leaflets with information on local support services. We are trying to get more people talking about mental health, to help break the barriers that surrounds this topic.

• What inspire you to dedicate more time on mental disorder?

I’m not sure exactly what you mean here? Do you mean what inspired me to dedicate more time on mental health topics? Or something similar?

I’ve always been interested in psychiatry and psychology, and whilst at medical school I realised that this could help form my career. Psychiatry is such an exciting area of medicine, with so much still to discover. Whether or not I specialise in this field, mental health is a topic which comes up in every health field, and so I think it is important to be aware of these illnesses.

• If we notice our friend is in distress or serious anxiety, how should we approach them? (How to begin the conversation? Should we just listen as a sympathetic ear or provide help?)

In my opinion, it is best to be guided by them, and each scenario may be different. Your friend may want you to just be a sympathetic ear, and may want to vent. If they are coming to you for advice, you can give what you feel is appropriate. This may be practical advice dealing with a specific situation, or you may feel that you want more help with dealing with the situation, and could suggest that as well as talking to you, they could see if the university/ GP/ charity services could help as well. Don’t feel like you have to solve all their problems- there are professionals who know exactly what to do and how to help. If a friend has opened up to you on how they feel, this may be a big step for them, so try not to dismiss anything they say.

If you are worried about a friend, ask them how they’re feeling and let them open up to you, if they want to.

• If we think we might have a mental health issue, where on campus can we seek for help?

There are many ports of call for students on campus. You could start by visiting your head of college, or college support officer. There are also support services available at the Base, more information about these services can also be found online. If there is a particular course related worry you may have, most lecturers/ academic tutors are happy to talk with students. It is also a good idea to visit your GP if you think you are suffering, to see what they can do to help. It could be a good idea to call Nightline as well. The most important thing is to not try and suffer in silence- there is lots of help available, you just have to ask for it.

• What are the major causes of mental disorder among adolescents/young adults (university students)?

One in four of us will experience a mental health problem each year, this means that it is highly likely a lot of students will be having their own issues with mental health. Depression and anxiety are common mental health problems found in young adults. The added stress of university exams, moving to a new area, making friends can contribute to an increase in students presenting to their GP for mental health related reasons.

• What more can we do to raise the attention for mental disorder?

In order to completely get rid of the stigma surrounding mental health conditions, we need to get more people talking about it, and for mental health to be treated the same as physical health. Most people have no qualms with discussing various lifestyle changes they are making in order to be more physically well, but no so much what they are doing in order to be mentally well. We need to make people aware that is perfectly normal and common to have problems with their mental health, and that is certainly not something to be ashamed of. Times are definitely changing with regards to public opinion of mental health, but there is still a lot to do- and hopefully LPS can help with that!