Page 125 - KNJIGA SAŽETAKA

INOVACIJE I IZAZOVI U OBRAZOVANJU I SESTRINSKOJ SKRBI - KNJIGA SAŽETAKA

Health Literacy in the Field of Youth Mental Health

In order to implement health literacy for teachers, teachers and other educational workers as
part of the Healthy Living project organized by the Croatian Institute of Public Health, the
Pomozi da educational program was designed to promote children's mental health. The aim of
the project is to support the availability of lifelong learning and the acquisition of basic
competencies of adults in the educational system in the field of mental health of children and
young people, and to increase their willingness to provide psychological help and support to
students.
For the last few years, the WHO has emphasized the importance of health literacy as a
determinant of health. Health literacy in the field of mental health is a set of knowledge and
evaluation of an individual about mental health, that is, mental disorders and their treatments.
This helps in a better outcome of professional help, but also in reducing stigma. It has been
proven that improving knowledge about mental health and mental disorders, better awareness
of how and when to seek help, and reduced stigma associated with mental health problems can
promote early recognition of mental health problems and improve outcomes. All educational
workers with whom students spend most of their time are the first to notice changes and help
young people. Problems related to depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse and other addictions, as
well as self-harm and suicidal thoughts are the most common problems we face today. Since
the first signs and problems most often appear in adolescence, the importance of early
recognition and seeking professional help greatly helps in a positive outcome.ž
Many people are not very familiar with how to recognize mental health problems in children
and young people, how and when to react and who to turn to for help. Certain myths and
misconceptions regarding communication are ubiquitous when a problem is noticed among
young people. Therefore, it is of great importance that education on health literacy is carried
out by as many educational workers as possible, and in this way timely help young people in
their most vulnerable years.

Key words: Healthy living, Pomozi da, mental health of young people

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