Health Promotion Strategies to Reduce Mental Health Among Children and Young People

This study discusses the prevalence of mental health in the UK and reasons why young women are suffering the most from mental health. It further discusses health promotion and disease prevention strategies to reduce mental health among children and young people.

Health Promotion
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Q1 Statistics and information on mental health among children and young people...................3
Two relevant health promotion theories......................................................................................5
Health promotion and disease prevention strategies to reduce mental health among children
and young people.........................................................................................................................6
Two communicational strategies that can be used in engaging stakeholders and disseminating
the message to them.....................................................................................................................7
2. The ways in which “The Lalonde Report” may influence the health promotion campaigns in
UK................................................................................................................................................8
Q3: Planning a health promotion programme...........................................................................10
Resources, required for successful implementation of health promotion plan..........................11
Two types of evaluation designs and frameworks and impact of health promotion programme
on addressing mental health issue..............................................................................................12
Comparing impact of this health promotion with similar health promotion campaign.............13
Evidence based information to support discussion of initiative................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
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INTRODUCTION
A process that can make people able to increase control over and improving overall health
(Hubley, Copeman and Woodall, 2021). This study is going to discuss prevalence of mental
health in UK and reasons as why young women are suffering the most from mental health as
compared to men. It will further discuss some causing factors of poor mental health among
children and young people in the UK with the main aim of improving their health by using health
promotional and prevention strategies accordingly. It will also discuss communicational
strategies by which stakeholders can be engaged and detailed information related to health
promotion can be provided. This study will then discuss some steps that need to be considered
for planning an effective health promotion. Along with this, this report will show some ways and
strategies by which effectiveness of health promotional program can be evaluated and measured.
Having reliable and appropriate resources also play a vital role as it enable health care providers
in preparing health promotional program in an effective manner.
MAIN BODY
Q1 Statistics and information on mental health among children and young people
It is found from secondary data and reports published that adults aged 18 and over has
reported a significant level of psychological distress increased from around 20.8 in 2019 to
29.6% in 2020, April. Distress and mixed anxiety is the common mental disorder in the UK and
it is stated that people of England will experience depression in their lifetime (Sadler and et.al.,
2018). Mental illness is affecting them physically and emotionally and it is decreasing their life
expectancy and living standard as well. It is also found that 50% of mental health problems are
established by age 14 and 75% by age 24. 20% of adolescent experience a mental health
problem. So, on the basis of this data, it can clearly be said that mental health problem is
increasing and are common among children and young people under 24 years of age.
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Figure 1: Prevalence of mental health disorder by age, England
Source: (https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46306241)
On the basis of above graph, it can be said that young women of 17-19 age group are more likely
to suffer from mental health problem and as compared to men prevalence of mental health
among women is twice. Anxiety and depression are main common mental health disorder that is
affecting young women of England emotionally and physically.
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Figure 2: Proportion of young women mental health who have self harmed
Source: ()
On the basis of above data, it can be said that more than 50% of young women in England who
are suffering from mental health have self harmed. As compared to boys, this rate of self harm is
far more likely among women.
It is important for government and health care service providers to look at this data and
take appropriate actions to decrease this mental health issues, otherwise, it may affect life
expectancy and mortality rate. It can be decreased when health care providers and associations
have knowledge and information about causing factors of mental health (Baker, 2020). Some
common causing factors that have been found from secondary and published data include: the
loss of job, ethnicity, living alone, family breakdown, harassment, and young people with a
history of early conduct problem, death of family members and close ones, people with lower
income group and young people with untreated depression. Overall, it can be said that mental
health is one of the main problem in UK that needs to be mitigated.
Two relevant health promotion theories
On the basis of above data, it can be said that mental health is one of the major problem in
UK as it is affecting young women to the great extent. So, it is important for health promotion
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association to develop as well as make use of health promotion theories for increasing awareness
among young people. By increasing health awareness and telling them ways of preventing from
mental health, this mental health rate can be decreased. Some effective health promotion theory
that can be suitable in increasing mental health awareness include:
Social cognitive: This theory states that environmental factors, individual’s experience and
actions of others have great impact on their health and the way of thinking. Surrounding and
environment within which people live have great impact on the way people think, react and
process (Beauchamp, Crawford and Jackson, 2019). For example: people of rural areas have
narrow mentality as they do not allow their female child for studying and this difference and
thought have negative impact on overall health and behaviour of people or women. So, on this
basis, it can be suggested that people should increase their self-efficacy, behavioural capacity,
self control and observational learning. Overall, it can be said that this theory can change
behaviour of people and useful for increasing awareness of people live in rural areas.
Theory of reasoned action/planned behaviour: This theory believes that individual’s
health behaviour is determined by their intention to perform behaviour. Subjective norms are the
result of social and environmental surrounding and person’s person perceived over the
behaviour. This theory aims at changing behaviour of people and their health behaviour (Ajzen,
2020). By making use of this theory, health care promotional institutions can change health
behaviour of people as they can increase awareness among people about importance of engaging
in social activities, physical activities, meditation, yoga and other fun activities for preventing
from mental health problem.
Health promotion and disease prevention strategies to reduce mental health among children and
young people
Along with social cognitive and planned behaviour theory, there are number of strategies by
which health care promotion and health care providers can decrease mental health among
children and young people such as:
Mental health promotion: The main aim of mental health promotion is encouraging and
increasing healthy behaviour that can decrease risk factor and can lead improved health. Mental
health among young people and children can be promoted and improved by: early childhood
intervention such as: pre-school psychosocial activities, skills building programme in schools
and developing youth development programmes (Carey and et.al., 2018). Community
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development program in which young people can be made aware about importance of improving
their mental health along with ways of improving.
Prevention strategies: There are 4 stages or levels of preventing people from poor health
such as: universal preventive interventions, selective preventive strategies, indicated preventive
strategies and treatment. Social and behavioural skills training are known as common and public
health prevention strategy. As per this strategy, health care providers can change behaviour of
people and by providing training to people; their mental and physical health can be improved.
Training plays a vital role as it leads healthy behaviour. As it is known that ethnicity, perception,
loneliness, poverty, domestic violence is some common causing factors of mental health
problems in UK (Reitz and Scaffa, 2020). So, by providing training, people of rural areas can be
made aware about importance of health and ways by which they can lead health behaviour.
On the basis of these strategies and promotional ways, it can be said that pre-school and
community development programme can be better in improving mental health of people.
Two communicational strategies that can be used in engaging stakeholders and disseminating the
message to them
Promoting health is not an easy task as health care providers and promotional services need to
make use of effective communicational strategies by which they can engage stakeholders and
target people in mental health promotion strategies among children and young people of UK.
Before making use of any communicational strategy, it is important for health care providers to
use effective communication framework that is actionable, accessible, relevant, timely,
understandable and trusted. Communication should be clear, concise, consistent, and creative
and connected. For this, 5C’s communicational framework can also be used.
There are number of ways by which stakeholders can be engaged such as verbally,
practically and written and others. But the main aim of engaging stakeholders is promoting
mental health and decreasing increasing life expectancy.
Face to face verbal communication: It is one of the best ways of engaging stakeholders
and young adults. By developing health awareness programs and communicating directly and
face to face with stakeholders, they can be provided with detailed information and reasons of
promoting health promotional programs and benefits that they can take by engaging in such
programs. For this, health care providers need to have an active listening ability and an ability to
communicate with people in a clear and effective manner.
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Social media: There are number of social media platforms such as: Instagram, Facebook
and others. By providing detailed information on these platforms to people, they can be engaged.
Nowadays, people use social media to the great extent and there are number of healthcare apps
that are being installed by people (Jane and et.al., 2018). They find easier in getting any kind of
information as by putting their personal information, they can increase their knowledge and by
getting information rewards ways of improving health, they can protect themselves from poor
mental health. It is written communication way and it is widely used nowadays.
2. The ways in which “The Lalonde Report” may influence the health promotion campaigns in
UK
The Lalonde report has been produced in 1974 in Canada which is formally titled as a new
perspective over the health and proposed complete perspective of health field. This is a basic
concept which identifies two major health related objectives of the health care system i.e.
prevention of health care options and promotion of good health habits (Davis, 2020). The report
is measured as the primary modern document among the Western world to recognize the
importance over the health care system along with the obligation of look further than the
conventional health care system in order to get better the health of the general public. This also
indicates a wide understanding over the determinants of physical condition in succeeding
communications. In context of four major determinants of health according to Lalonde which are
human biology, health care system, lifestyle as well as the environment.
The concept of health promotion rose to the international significance by following the
Lalonde report which was published by the Canadian minister of national health and welfare at
the time which shares a new and advanced perception over the health of citizens. After the
introduction of the Lalonde report, the traditional perspective over health has been affected in
context that the health care workers whether they are nurses, health care professionals, scientific
community, government and the general public, they should work together with a common aim.
Their aim must be preventing ill health of the citizens rather than just responding to illness. As
this was the first government report that creates great emphasis over the responsibility for
individual health and their well being beyond the offering health care system.
The Lalonde report within the UK has enhanced the health promotion actions and
strategies in the health promotion campaigns such as it helps to build health public policy as with
the help of this, the health over the agenda of all policies in all sectors and at multi levels. It also
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helps to create a supportive environment by creating living and working conditions that are safe,
satisfying, stimulation as well as enjoyable for the public of the United Kingdom. It also
strengthen community action by ensuring that the workings set specific priorities, make
appropriate decisions, plan strategies and are able to implement them in order to achieve better
health benefits from the campaign designing and effective communication of the policies. It also
helps to develop personal skills by providing people with detailed information along with
education by enhancing the lifestyle skills as well as enabling them to cope up with the policies
in highly effectual manner.
The reports those are associated with the Lalonde framework are also able to reorient
health services by developing health care services which focuses over the total requirements of
the whole population of the UK and are sensitive to fulfil the cultural needs. This will help the
people of UK to promote health promotional actions that are being achieved by utilising three
health promotional strategies by enabling, mediating and do advocacy. Enabling refers to taking
action in partnership with individual persons or group of people in order to empower them with
the help of mobilizing human and material resources to promote and protect the health of the
people (Gabarron and et.al., 2018). Mediation has been described as a procedure through which
the diversified interests of the society in context of economic, social and personal perspectives of
individuals, communities as well as dissimilar sectors whether it is private or public are
submissive in a manner that promote and protect health benefits. In context of advocacy, it has
been illustrated as a combination of social actions or individual personality to design the
campaigns in order to gain political obligation, policy support, social acceptance and system
support for a specific health program me or goals.
With the help of Lalonde report, the health promotional strategies focuses towards
preventing the causes of ill health through which the health care professionals of the UK put their
emphasis over the overall perspective rather than just putting focus over giving treatment at once
to the persons who are getting ill. It generates a notion of preventing people from becoming
unwell and stopping them from falling into the situations that makes them more ill. It also helps
in order to identify effective communication areas which help into health promotion
opportunities to empower patients in order to adopt healthy behaviors and lifestyle in highly
appropriate manner.
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Overall, it can be said that this report can develop and evolution of health promotion by
identifying needs for people to take responsibility in changing their behaviors in improving their
own health. This report has give positive outcomes to people as the main focus of this report on
improving lifestyle. So, on the basis of this, it can be said that by making use of this report and
changing lifestyle of target people, prevalence of mental health among children and young
people of UK can be decreased. It includes a broad understanding of determinants of health in
sub sequential speech. Health care providers can use this understanding while planning and
promoting mental health promotion program for decreasing mental health issues among young
people and children of the UK. But on the other hand, this report was criticized as it was stated
that this report did not have all that significant impact in Canada. It is also stated by authors and
some people who argued in this report that this report has paid attention only on lifestyle and too
little information on environmental factors. So, on the basis of this, it can be said that health care
providers should focus on all factors or external environmental factors while developing health
promotion program. It can help out them in improving decision, accomplishing goals and
productivity as well. Overall, it can be said that this report should be used while planning and
developing health promotion and prevention programs.
Q3: Planning a health promotion programme
Success of health promotion program mainly depends on an effective planning. There are 6 main
steps that need to be followed and considered for successful planning of mental health
promotional programme such as:
Managing planning process: It is the first step of planning a health promotion
programme in which health promotion and health care providers need to identify ways as how
stakeholders will work in a team for making an effective decision. This step is based on data
collection and an effective data analysis within give time, budget and other appropriate
resources. It is the main phase as other stages are interrelated and depend on this. By preparing
team and deciding ways of working together, health care provider can plan and implement health
promotion programme successfully.
Conducting situational analysis: In this stage, people need to conduct situational
analysis. SWOT and pestle analysis can be done as it can help out health care providers in
knowing actual external environmental situations (Barry and et.al., 2019). They can know social
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factors, economic condition and their internal strengths as well as weaknesses. On the basis of
analysis, they can plan health promotional program accordingly and effectively.
Setting goals and targeting audience: In this stage, health care providers need to make
use of situational results for developing goals for planning health promotion programme. Broad
statement, goals and targeting people process can provide specific direction to them and
accordingly, they perform their functions. As for planning mental health promotion, target will
be children and young people of 24 years and goal is to increase awareness among them
regarding mental health.
Assigning resources and selecting strategies: In this stage, people need to make use of
appropriate resources and brainstorm strategies such as: health education, policy development,
communicational and others. For this, healthcare providers can use face to face communication
strategy and community development program strategy.
Developing indicators: For each outcome, people need to consider intended result that
they want to get by planning health promotion program. It is important to develop indicators and
make sure as whether they have resources to access results, if they have enough time to observe
results and accessibility of data sources (Cislaghi and Heise, 2019). For this mental health
promotion, health care providers need to make use of laptop, stationery items, projectors by
which they can provide detailed information to target people and can improve mental health of
people.
Reviewing plan: After performing all stages, it is important to measure effectiveness of
planning of promotion program and it is possible by reviewing plan with effective KPIs. The
reason of reviewing plan knows as whether selected strategies have contributed to goals and
target people have understood about this health promotion program and strategies. By comparing
health data of people before this planning and after planning, effectiveness can be measured.
Resources, required for successful implementation of health promotion plan
For planning health promotion programme in an effective manner, there is requirement of
resources such as: financial, stationery, laptop, health insurance premiums, personnel, facilities
and funds.
Personnel: Personnel and skilled workers are one of the most important resources that
can make promotion programme successful (Koorts and et.al., 2018). They are the one who
perform functions like increasing awareness among people, communicating with people,
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attracting them, providing them detailed information regarding health promotion and ways of
improving mental health. Finance manager, marketing manager, health care providers and other
workers.
Funds: For attracting target people and developing health promotion programme, health
care provider needs to have enough funds. They need to make arrangements, need to do some
paper work and for this, they need financial resources. For developing and planning health
promotion programme, health care provider will require $397 million.
Stationery: For doing paper work and showing detailed information related to mental health to
target people, there will requirement of stationery, projector and others. For communicating and
attracting target people, there will be requirement of making a page on social media platforms
and launching health promotion app.
By making use of these resources, health care providers can implement and plan health
promotion program successfully.
Two types of evaluation designs and frameworks and impact of health promotion programme on
addressing mental health issue
It is important to review effectiveness of health promotion program and for that there is
requirement of making use of evaluation frameworks such as:
Formative evaluation: Formative evaluation occurs during program development and
implementation. This evaluation provides information to people and health care providers
regarding achieving program goals as well as improvement of program. On the basis of this
evaluation, health care providers can measure actual and current position and can identify areas
where they need to make improvement (Riciputi and et.al., 2019).
Impact evaluation: Impact evaluation help people in accessing program’s effects on target
people. By using this evaluation, health care providers can identify impacts of mental health
promotion program on overall health of children and young people of UK. It can help them out
in knowing effectiveness of program and can make them able in increasing living standard of
people by decreasing mental health issues. Measures in this type of evaluation include:
knowledge, attitude, behaviour, skills and frameworks. By comparing behaviour of target people
before participating in program and after participating, effectiveness of health promotion
program can be known easily.
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Comparing impact of this health promotion with similar health promotion campaign
A universal mental health programme was being developed for young people in Italy. This
program was developing in schools and universities and the main focus of this program on
teaching skills with the main aim of making students able to cope satisfactory with stress in their
life. It was designed for implementing in high schools (Gigantesco and et.al., 2015). This
program gave positive outcomes in reducing risk factors and incidence of mental disorders.
Sample size of this program was not estimated a priori and it was its main limitation. In this
program, health care providers and tutors used approaches based on psycho educational model,
promoted in Italy and it has decreased mental health problems in students as they learned ways
of improving mental health.
In this current health promotion program, it is found that target people such as children and
young people have known importance of participating in social and physical activities. They
were told consequences and negative impacts of isolation and living lonely. So, they were
encouraged for living with family members, spending time, sharing their feelings, doing physical
exercise and participating in activities in which they are interested (Campos and et.al., 2018). All
these strategies and used evaluation strategies helped out in decreasing mental health issues to
some extent. It also increased awareness among young people and children about importance of
being mentally fit and healthy. Overall, it can be said that current used evaluation and prevention
strategies in this health promotion program was main strength.
Evidence based information to support discussion of initiative
Evidence based practice can be defined as a problem solving approach to the delivery of
healthcare that is based on the best evidence, developed by well-designed studies. Decision are
being made on the basis of available evidence, patients values, circumstances and clinical
expertise. The reason of using evidence base information is to take better decision and providing
better care and health services to target people. In this study, healthcare providers has made use
of current published data and published within 5 years. It is believed that data, published within 5
years can give accurate and reliable information (Ford, John and Gunnell, 2021). On the basis of
actual facts and statistics of mental health problems in UK among young people and children,
some causing factors gave been known. On the basis of identified causing factors, strategies have
been developed. For collecting reliable and accurate information, PubMed and Google scholar
databases have been used in this study. So, on the basis of this, it can be said that having
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evidence based information is important for improving decision, accomplishing goals and
improving overall health of people with effectiveness.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been summarized that health promotional and prevention
strategies like community development programmes, pre-school psychosocial activities, skills
building programmes play a vital role. It increase awareness among people and improve overall
health of people. It has discussed reasons as why young people of UK are suffering from mental
health problem and ways by which they can improve their overall health. It has discussed
effectiveness of healthy diet and physical activities in improving mental health. It has discussed
effectiveness of Lalonde report as how it can influence the way health promotion campaigns are
communicated and designed. Lastly, it has shown all main 6 steps of planning an effective health
promotion program, resources that required for preparing health promotional planning in an
effective manner and evaluation frameworks by which effectiveness of health promotion
program can be measured.
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