Mental Health Awareness: Strategic Education Approaches Case Study

Effective Behavior Change Models in Public Health

Introduction

Health education and well-being promotion are critical in improving quality of life and reducing the burden of preventable illnesses. The goal of this report is to examine various health education strategies and tools for spotting health disparities. The relationship between nutrition, exercise, and health will be discussed, as well as how to evaluate the concepts of health and poor health. It will also contrast and compare various theories of health. The report will also define the words health education, health protection, and disease prevention and assess the media's impact on attitudes towards health. The study will also describe two kinds of behaviour modification that have been used in recent national health education programmes as well as other approaches to health promotion. It will also evaluate how effectively various behaviour modification methods work to promote health and well-being.

Ultimately, the report will outline the justification for health education campaigns, as well as plan, design, and carry out a small-scale campaign while connecting it to models of behaviour change. The report will implement the health education campaign, assess its efficacy and impact, and outline the moral dilemmas related to the campaign using a target audience, such as peers or a tutor.

Task 1

The concept of health and ill health

Health is a dynamic condition of physical, mental, and social well-being rather than just the absence of disease or incapacity. It is a multidimensional idea that includes elements like physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health (Who.int, 2023). A productive and happy life, as well as the ability to support one's family and community, are all made possible by good health. Contrarily, ill health is a condition of physical, mental, or social impairment that hinders a person from performing at their best. The causes of illness can include genetic predisposition, environmental influences, lifestyle choices, and socioeconomic situation (Bala et al. 2021). Persons’ disease affects not only their own health but also the health of their family, community, and wider society. Promoting health and well-being and lowering health inequities require a clear understanding of the concepts of good and bad health.

Compare and contrast models of health

Through the use of the Cartesian dualism theory, the biomedical model of health is criticised for oversimplifying the complicated relationship between health and illness. This significant model mainly focuses on biological components and ignores the role that social and environmental factors play in determining health outcomes (Stilwell et al. 2019). Medical interventions' capacity to address more extensive health inequities has been constrained by this reductionist approach. Apart from that, socio-ecological theory associates with the social model of health which views social, economic and environmental factors as important predictors of health outcomes (McCormick et al. 2021). The socio-ecological theory takes into account the impact of social, economic, and environmental factors on health outcomes, including human behaviour, societal determinants of health, and access to healthcare, whereas the biomedical model oversimplifies health and illness by focusing solely on biological factors.

Factors Affecting Health and Well-being

In addition to these elements, bad eating habits, inactivity, and usage of tobacco products can have an effect on one's health and well-being (Calderon et al. 2021). Health outcomes can also be influenced by factors like gender, age, and genetics. Additionally, the availability of healthcare services, including preventative ones like immunisations and screenings, might influence the results of medical care. For the purpose of creating successful health promotion initiatives that address the root causes of health disparities, it is crucial to comprehend the many variables that affect health and well-being (Dai and Menhas, 2020). Promotion of policies and initiatives that deal with the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health, support healthy lifestyles, and provide equal access to healthcare are crucial.

The Connection between Diet, Exercise, and Health

Various theories can be used to explain the relationship between nutrition, activity, and health. According to the energy balance theory, maintaining a healthy weight necessitates striking a balance between the calories received through nutrition and the calories expended through physical activity (Cdc.gov, 2023). Increased energy expenditure brought on by consistent exercise can aid in weight loss or maintenance. A healthy diet should, according to the nutrient density theory, also supply the body with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, among other necessary nutrients (Fardet and Richonnet, 2020). These necessary nutrients can be obtained through a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, which also lowers the chance of developing chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. Kitchen Stories (UK) conducted a survey in 2019 regarding the eating habits of UK citizens (Statista.com, 2023). It was found that, over the course of the study period, A healthy, balanced diet was very regularly followed by 40.42 percent of the respondents. However, 10.28 survey respondents stated that they ate nutritious meals occasionally in 2019.

Figure 1: Current health-related priorities among U.S. adults 2019

Role of Media in Influencing Attitudes to Health

Health-related attitudes are significantly influenced by the media. The media has the power to promote particular themes or images while influencing the way consumers perceive health through print, social media, and television. For instance, the prevalence of skinny, fit models in magazines and commercials may contribute to the belief that this is the ideal body type. This may result in undesirable habits like excessive exercise and diets. Additionally, the media can affect behaviour by endorsing particular goods or actions. For instance, ads for unhealthy meals and drinks, such as sugary drinks and fast food, can help people develop poor eating patterns (Vanderlee et al. 2021). Advertisements that support eating well and exercising can, on the other hand, promote healthy habits.

The need of promoting ethical media practises and acknowledge the influence of the media on health-related attitudes cannot be overstated. This entails advocating for truthful, empirically supported information, refraining from sensationalism, and encouraging a fair and inclusive representation of various body types and healthy lifestyle choices.

Explain the terms

Initiatives for improving public health must focus on preventing illnesses, promoting health, and medical education.

Health Education

The promotion of medical and well-being includes health education as a key component (DiClemente et al. 2019). It entails educating people on wholesome habits, disease management, and disease prevention. There are numerous ways that this information can be provided, including in-person counselling, public awareness campaigns, and classroom instruction. People can choose healthy behaviours and make educated decisions about their health by expanding their knowledge and understanding.

Health Protection

The focus of health protection is on the steps taken to safeguard people's health. This can include actions like environmental vigilance, laws governing food safety, and immunisation campaigns. These steps are intended to reduce the risk of illness or damage and prevent exposure to dangerous substances.

Disease Prevention

Measures performed to stop the development or spread of diseases are referred to as disease prevention. Programmes including public health efforts, disease surveillance, and vaccination campaigns can fall under this category. The overall health of communities can be increased, and the strain on healthcare systems can be lessened, by limiting the spread of disease.

Overall, it is possible for people and communities to maintain and improve their health and well-being through gaining more knowledge, reducing exposure to dangerous substances, and stopping the spread of disease.

Approaches to Health Promotion

Specific approaches to health promotion entail educating people about healthy behaviours and lifestyle choices, such as consistent exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management methods. People can detect and address health hazards with the use of health screenings and individualised health coaching. Community-based methods of health promotion put a special emphasis on building surroundings that support good health, like granting access to secure parks and recreational facilities, promoting wholesome food alternatives, and putting in place laws that encourage healthy behaviours (Lee and Nakamura, 2021). Population-based methods of health promotion focus on addressing the underlying environmental, social, and economic variables that affect health, such as access to healthcare, education, and poverty (Tsakos et al. 2023). These tactics are focused on attaining health equity by addressing the underlying factors that contribute to health inequalities and ensuring that everyone has access to the tools and opportunities that promote health.

Models of Behavior Change in National Health Education Campaigns

Recently, national health education projects have employed both the Transtheoretical Model and the Health Belief Model as models foralteration of behaviour. The Health Belief Model states that a person's perception of their susceptibility to health threats affects their actions, the intensity of the danger, perceived benefits, and cues to action (Al-Sabbagh et al. 2022). According to the Transtheoretical Model, behavioural change occurs over time as people move through many stages, including thinking before acting, thinking, planning, doing, and maintaining (Jiménez et al. 2020).

Effectiveness of Different Models of Behavior Change

Although their efficacy varies, behaviour modification models have been widely utilised to encourage behavioural change in a variety of situations and populations. The Health Belief Model has proven beneficial in changing behaviour in cancer screening and vaccine uptake, but it has been criticised for oversimplifying the complex social and environmental elements that impact behaviour. The Transtheoretical Model, on the other hand, has proved beneficial in fostering behaviour change in areas such as fitness and smoking cessation, but its complexity may make it difficult to execute in practise (Jiménez et al. 2020).

It has been demonstrated that population-based approaches enhance health outcomes and lessen health disparities. These approaches place a premium on building welcoming settings and tackling socioeconomic challenges that impact health. Before selecting whether behaviour modification model or population-based strategy would be most effective in encouraging behaviour change, it is critical to understand the target population, behaviour, and environment. As a result, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy to behaviour change promotion, and interventions must be tailored to the individual needs of the population and situation.

Task 2

Definition of the rationale of the health education campaign for mental health awareness

A methodical approach is needed for creating and implementing a health education campaign, which includes determining the target audience, establishing goals and objectives, choosing effective communication channels, and assessing the campaign's effectiveness. A framework for understanding human behaviour and the variables that affect behaviour change is provided by behaviour change models, which are essential in creating successful health education programmes. The goal of health education campaigns is to empower people to take charge of their health by making decisions that will improve their quality of life. Campaigns for health education encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles like exercising, eating a balanced diet, abstaining from dangerous behaviours, and getting medical help when required.

According to the statistics, every year, one out of four UK people experiences a mental health issue making it a significant concern (Lewis and Cardwell, 2020). People, their families, and communities are all significantly impacted by mental health concerns. Long-term impairment and even suicide as a result of mental health issues are possible outcomes. However, many people decide not to seek help due to prejudice and a shortage of awareness regarding mental health conditions. Therefore, it is essential to raise awareness of mental health illnesses and motivate people to seek treatment.

Figure 2: Effects of mental health problems among young people in the United Kingdom in 2019

Plan, design and implementation of the small-scale health education campaign, relating to models of behaviour change

The process of purposefully changing a particular behaviour or collection of behaviours is referred to as behaviour change. To assist people in permanently altering their health behaviours, a variety of behaviour modification models have been developed. These models all offer distinct perspectives on how behaviour change happens and are based on various ideas and principles. The Health Belief Model or HBM asserts people's beliefs of their vulnerability to health problems, the severity of the issue, the advantages of taking action, and the obstacles to doing so, and their cues for action, affecting health behaviours, is one of the most well-known behaviour change models (Vincenzo et al, 2022). The Transtheoretical Model or TTM, which Prochaska and DiClemente developed, is another well-liked model (Gutierrez, 2020). It covers a number of steps people go through when changing their behaviour, including before-contemplation, meditation, planning, action, and upkeep.

The behaviourial change model for this campaign will be the Health Belief Model. According to the concept, a person's perceptions affect their decision to take action to manage health issue of the problem's gravity, susceptibility, the advantages of taking action, and the obstacles to taking action.

Table 1: planing for camping

Identification of a target audience, to carry out the Health education campaign

Three distinct target markets in the UK will be the main attention:

• Young Adults (18–25): Due to the difficulties of making the transition to adulthood, financial stress, and academic expectations, this group is particularly susceptible to mental health concerns.
• Parents: Parents are essential in promoting the mental health of their children. The purpose of this audience is to urge them to get treatment and to assist them in identifying warning signals of mental health issues in their children.
• Employers: Employers are an important target audience since they represent a big source of stress and anxiety for many people (Ueda, 2020). To assist companies in creating a psychologically healthy workplace and supporting workers who may be experiencing mental health concerns, information and resources will be offered.

Analysis

The campaign will be promoted through a number of platforms, such as social media, online resources, and neighbourhood events. Interesting social media posts and visuals for the young adult market that increase understanding of mental health concerns and offer advice on how to take care of oneself and handle stress will be produced. The campaign website will also get a special page with resources and information on mental health, as well as a link for young adults to find nearby support groups. Along with hosting workshops and activities that provide parents with the chance to learn and interact with other parents, engagement with local schools and community organisations will be done. Tools and resources will be provided to companies to assist them in setting up a psychologically healthy workplace (Gabriel and Aguinis, 2022). This could include webinars, workshops, and online resources that offer advice on fostering a work-life balance, encouraging it, and identifying and assisting staff who might be dealing with mental health difficulties.

Evaluation of effectiveness and Impact of the health education campaign

The campaign's implementation and evaluation are the last steps. The campaign ought to be introduced using a number of platforms, including social media, posters, and flyers. Utilising pertinent measures, such as shifts in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours linked to the campaign's purpose, one should assess the campaign's effectiveness. Future initiatives should be informed by the evaluation's findings regarding the campaign's strengths and faults. To assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours relating to physical activity, healthy food, mental health, and sleep, surveys were administered before and after the programme. Information about the campaign and interactions with the target audience were shared via social media channels (Shawky, 2019). According to the polls, students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding exercise, a good diet, mental health, and sleep have improved.

Explanation of ethical issues involved in the Health education campaign

Health education programmes aim to spread awareness of health-related issues and encourage healthy lifestyles among individuals and communities. Using data from the UK and Public Health England websites, we will look at some of the ethical concerns that may develop in relation to health education programmes in this response. For example, according to a BMA report, moral distress is a common problem among doctors, who were supposed to treat people (Bma.org.uk, 2023). The top causes are individuals' mental fatigue, Insufficient time and insufficient staff to serve patients and individual support and denial to the families of dying patients. People should have the freedom to choose not to participate in any interventions or activities with which they do not feel comfortable, free from fear of negative consequences. This is an ethical problem because funding should go to initiatives and plans that have a track record of improving patient outcomes (Jia, 2021). A health education campaign's efficacy can also be assessed to determine where improvements can be made and to make sure that resources are being spent efficiently.

Figure 3: Effects of mental health problems among young people in the United Kingdom in 2019

Conclusion

The high frequency of mental health problems in the UK must be addressed, and health education initiatives on mental health awareness are essential. These campaigns can improve the results for people's mental health across the nation by employing evidence-based tactics that minimise the stigma associated with mental illness, encourage self-care, and encourage individuals to seek treatment.

Planning, designing, and implementing effective health education programmes requires careful consideration of the stages of behaviour change. Such efforts should be accessible, entertaining, and educational in order to have the most impact. They should also be targeted to the needs of the target audience. Health education programmes can be made more effective by working with regional businesses and community organisations, utilising social media advertising that is specifically targeted, interacting with journalists and media outlets, and holding events and webinars.

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