Mental Health Awareness: What You Need to Know with Janine Moga | Veterinary Continuing Education Blog VETgirl

 In this VETgirl Online Veterinary Continuing Education Blog , VETgirl's Director of Happiness, Jeannine Moga , MA, MSW, LCSW, Clinical Veterinary Social Worker, discusses the importance of mental health awareness and what you need to know about mental health in veterinary medicine.

 

 Mental Health Awareness: What You Need to Know

 

By Jeannine Moga, MA, MSW, LCSW, Director of Happiness, VETgirl

 

Since 1949, the month of May has been used to raise awareness about mental illness, the realities of living with mental illness, and the many strategies that can be used to both reduce stigma and improve mental health and well-being. Mental Health Awareness Month is likewise an possibility to polish a mild on our ownwell-being by deliberately devoting time and energy to behaviors that promote and protect our mental health.

 

Mental health is an aspect of overall health that encompasses emotional, social, and psychological well-being and influences how we think, feel, and behave. Factors that negatively affect mental health are present to one degree or another in all of us, because struggle is just a part of the human condition, am I right? – and most of us will have to deal with mental illness at some point in our lives. According to Mental Health America, nearly half of the American population will have a diagnosable mental disorder at some point in time, and nearly one in five Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental disorder in year 1.  Moreover, 5 million American adults are living with a mental illness at this very moment…. and we are not alone.

 

Takeaway? Mental health is not the absence of illness or stress. In fact, mental health exists on a spectrum and depends on many factors. Thus, to be healthy people, we must take care of our mental health in the same way that we take care of our physical health. And during Mental Health Awareness Month, we have the opportunity to conduct self-assessments, explore resources, and intentionally integrate mental health issues into our workplace conversations.

 

Where to begin?

 

• Pause and evaluate yourself. To get a head-to-head check, go to the Mental Health America website, where you can view a range of free, confidential, and evidence-based assessment tools. These tools provide a snapshot of both your self-care and your conversations with health care providers (including your PCP and/or mental health provider).

 

• Intentionally use self-care. Assess what energizes and drains your life, where you might need extra support, and how you can improve your well-being. Take active steps to behave in ways that bring you moments of calm, balance, and joy.

 

• Know your resources. Knowing the resources available to support mental health, whether local or national, is an important first step in seeking help. And when self-care efforts seem ineffective, consider that professional support may be appropriate and timely.  Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), primary care providers, and local VMAs are also great sources of resources and guidance. Help is to be had and effective!

 

• Model and leave room for honest conversations about mental health. Early detection and intervention are critical to mental health recovery, and fighting stigma requires us to be bold and honest about mental health, both in and out of the workplace. Modeling good self-care and networking with colleagues helps create a culture of health and wellness in our hospitals and our teams.

 

Taking care of ourselves and the amazing profession of which we are a part requires recognizing that mental health concerns us all. Listening to your own well-being, engaging in high-impact self-care, getting support and treatment when we need it, and carving out space (+grace) for mental health conversations in the workplace are not only great ways to celebrate mental health. Awareness Month is a value-based behavior that we can follow throughout the year.