The World Mental Health Organization - 1452 Words

The World Mental Health Organization (WHO) define mental health as â€Å"A state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.† There are many factors that go into what categorizes a person as â€Å"at risk†. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, an at-risk person is one that a person that has demonstrated or expressed the thought of self-harm or suicide. An at-risk person may have a current diagnosed mental illness or one that has gone undiagnosed. Some of these diagnoses include, but are not limited to, depression, schizophrenia, alcohol dependence, personality†¦show more content†¦About nineteen percent of young people contemplate or attempt suicide each year. So how do these statistics matter to you? Think about it like this, according to the center for disease control, (CD C), every 12 minutes, a person will die because of suicide attempt. That is roughly five deaths every hour. However, you do not hear about suicide like I have so bluntly put it to you. We see suicide on the news and social media and it is written so positively. When Robin William’s died of suicide in 2014 the media started the phrase â€Å"Genie you are free†, but could this quote be potentially glorifying suicide in a way that changes society’s perception on suicide. Throughout the years, media has continually grown and has had a huge impact on people of all ages. According to the authors of â€Å"The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families†, social media is both a blessing and a curse, social media encourages creativity, connection between peers, and helping shape ones individuality. However it also can lead to â€Å"Facebook depression† which is depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression.†(O’Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson). O’Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson also point out the flaws that social media has privacy, advertisements, and