Hi everyone, welcome to School Mental Health Ontario and ThriveSMH’s very first video podcast. Over the next three episodes, we will be discussing—we will talk about mental health and mental illness and discussing how they’re represented in social media.

We will be covering things like what are mental health and mental illness, when and how to seek support, misinformation, how to find supportive and factual mental health information online, and strategies to advocate for yourself when seeking support.

In today’s episode, we will be discussing the dual continuum of mental health and mental illness, and when and how to seek support for your mental health.

But first, let’s introduce ourselves. My name is Shwedhaa, my pronouns are she/her. I just started grade 10 and I’m from Scarborough.

Hi everyone, I’m Mady, I’m from Manitoulin Island. I’m going into grade—I’m in grade 10, and my pronouns are she/her.

My name is Kirin. My pronouns are she/her. I’m in my first year of university and I’m from the GTA, Brampton.

Hi everyone, my name is Huda Adnan. My pronouns are she/her.

I am the Newcomer Student Mental Health Consultant here at School Mental Health Ontario, and I’m from Durham region.

Awesome. So, to break the ice, if you were stuck on a deserted island, what is the one thing you couldn’t live without, or you would have to bring with you to the island?

Personally, I would have to bring my digital camera that’s on its last life.

I think it would be so fun to vlog on the island and whoever finds the camera eventually can, you know, watch it back and see what we were up to.

Okay, so if you asked me this question a week ago, probably would have given a different response, but recently I’ve been having a watermelon obsession.

I don’t know what it is.

I don’t know if it’s like summer lately coming to me, but if I had to go on island, I’m bringing as much watermelon as I can, okay? You can count on me for food.

Okay, so if I was stranded on an island, I feel like I’d want a first aid kit, you know, just in case if something happens.

So, I think that’s what I would bring.

I’m stuck between like, I think water because I’m so paranoid about what water is in the sea that’s around us.

I’m not trying to get dehydrated.

So I think that’s what I would bring to stay alive because I don’t know about the food situation on the island.

Huda, can you speak more about to what School Mental Health Ontario is and what your role is?

Absolutely. So,

School Mental Health Ontario works alongside the Ministry of Education, English and French school districts and school authorities.

We’re what’s called a provincial implementation support team.

Some of what we do is create resources to help educators, principals and mental health professionals stay up to date on the latest evidence to support student mental health.

We also help school boards in creating and carrying out their mental health action plans.

The School Mental Health Ontario team is made up of educators, mental health professionals, like myself, and partners.

So in my role, I am the newcomer student mental health consultant, and so a lot of the work that I’m doing right now is around newcomer student mental health, specifically with students.

Honestly, I think that’s really interesting how you’re able to connect with so many people who are new to Canada and it’s honestly doing a great job here.

So ThriveSMH is School Mental Health Ontario’s English speaking student reference program.

We work with School Mental Health Ontario’s team to share the kinds of support students want and need at their schools and boards.

Some of the things we have done are share our feedback on resources that School Mental Health Ontario develops, create our own projects just like this podcast, and present our webinars and conferences to share what students want and need when it comes to their mental health at school.

So, for me personally, I joined ThriveSMH because, from my background, mental health isn’t really talked about.

So I think it was really interesting to join this and kind of share my experiences because I felt kind of alone when I first experienced anxiety and was kind of learning about my mental health.

So, I want to make sure that there’s always a space for people who can speak about their mental health.

For me personally, when I was in grade 8 to 10, I was fully online due to Covid, and I stayed home the majority of the time during those two years.

And it was very isolating and lonely, especially as my peers started to go back to in person school and something that I really wish that I had was more support for mental health online.

And the application for Thrive came at a perfect time where I was just at my boiling point.

And I wanted to close the gap for accessibility to resources to mental health supports for students, including online, both in person and online as well.

I feel like I joined Thrive just because I find mental health really important to talk about and this is a great way to share knowledge about it and learn more.

It’s really great to hear what all drew you to ThriveSMH.

Even though we all came from different backgrounds, you know, we all have a very similar goal which is to learn more about mental health and provide more tools to students.

So I think that’s really awesome.

Before joining ThriveSMH, did you ever talk about what mental health or mental illness are or the relationship with each other?

For me personally, before joining Thrive, I did have knowledge on what mental health and mental illness was.

Through my school’s social justice club and through an online guest speaker.

They shared concepts about what mental illness was and how it was different to mental health, and while connected, that they’re not the same.

And however, through ThriveSMH, I also got to further develop my knowledge on mental health and learn new things like intersectionality and identity-affirming school mental health and how that impacts a person’s well-being.

So, for me personally, I didn’t really have a lot of mental health resources growing up.

I think it was like around the time that middle school started that I started to be more introduced to what mental health and mental illness were.

And that’s when I started getting like resources and people like talking more about it.

And since I’ve joined ThriveSMH, I’ve really like broaden like my knowledge on what it is and the differences and how important it is to everybody, regardless of if you have a mental illness or not.

So, I feel like before ThriveSMH I did have some knowledge of mental health and mental illness but Thrive has definitely like boosted that knowledge.

So for people who haven’t heard these terms before, mental health and mental illness are actually two separate topics that intersect.

Mental health is defined by the World Health Organization as a positive state of wellness and flourishing or thriving.

When we are mentally healthy, we enjoy life, we explore, we take healthy risks, we can manage challenges, and we can find ways to contribute to the world around us.

On the other side, mental illnesses include severe and persistent difficulty with thoughts, emotions or behaviors that causes distress and interfere with day-to-day functioning.

Not everyone will experience mental illness.

There is a statistic that one in five people in Canada experience a mental illness, but everyone does have mental health.

A while back ThriveSMH posted on Instagram that one in five people experience mental health mental illness, but five and five people have mental health.

So we often think about mental health as a spectrum.

So on one end is good mental health and on the other is poor mental health. So we all move along this spectrum depending on what’s happening in our lives and other factors. Like mental health, mental illnesses can be experienced in varying levels of severity or not at all.

On one end of the mental illness spectrum is no diagnosable mental illness or minimal or no symptoms.

On the other end is severe mental illness.

So by combining these two spectrums into a dual spectrum, we can see how a person’s mental state might fluctuate.

It’s important to remember that in all of this, that people can still have good mental health and feel good with a mental illness.

On the flip side, people have still- people will still experience poor mental health without a mental illness.

So I want to give you an example.

So say for example, if you are swimming and if you don’t know how to swim, you jump into the deep end without your life jacket or your floaty.

That’s kind of how mental illnesses are if you don’t have the strategies or the resources or the support to take care of yourself.

So it’s really important to remember that as like an example, if you are struggling with your mental health, it’s really important to have those resources and that strategy in order to experience good quality of life.

Yeah, for me personally, I’m a bit extroverted, so I do notice that when I’m with my friends I tend to feel more happy, whereas when I’m spending more time alone than usual, I tend to feel more down.

Yeah, I also have a similar experience of like when I’m living in the moment and I’m outdoors or with friends, you know, I feel on the positive side of my mental health, but sometimes my anxious thoughts can like cloud my mind if I’m focusing on my worries and that results in a negative mental health.

So thank you everyone for sharing that.

And thinking back to the dual continuum of mental health and mental illness, how do you know that what you’re experiencing is more than a bad day?

With my experience, I think my body sends me signals to let me know if a bad day is a sign of something more serious, like if I’m tired, not wanting to talk to anyone, or if my body feels tense.

It’s letting me know that I need to take care of myself and focus on strategies that are healthy and that I find work for me, like journaling.

Yeah, Kirin, you made a really good point.

My body also tends to give me signals.

If I’m just feeling a little bit upset, I might feel bit tired, but if I do know it’s more than a bad day, I tend to feel like my chest tightening or like, just like, more like serious things.

I kind of know, like, I need a step out for a moment and kind of just like, clear my thoughts and kind of get like, back in the moment rather than like, worrying about the past or being anxious about the future.

Yes, it is always good to take breaks when you need it.

Those are some really good examples, thank you.

I love the awareness that you folks have in terms of like, what you’re experiencing in your body may not feel good in that moment.

So it’s important to remember that there will be times when you aren’t feeling your best and this is normal.

Our feelings and our emotions change all the time and sometimes these changes can affect what we think about ourselves or how we act towards other people.

So, if you are experiencing a challenging time, healthy coping strategies can help.

So, similar to, what you folks shared like journaling, for example,

these are the activities that make you feel good and can help protect your mental health.

Like getting enough sleep, eat nutrient rich foods, spending time outdoors, moving your body, spending time with loved ones, connecting to your culture or community.

There are also times when further support might be needed.

So you might ask yourself, is how I’m thinking, feeling or acting different for me? A change from how I used to be?

Are my thoughts, emotions or actions affecting my everyday life negatively?

Have I been feeling this way for some time, like more than a couple of weeks?

Am I dealing with my problems in unhealthy ways?

And lastly, am I carrying too much by myself?

If you answer yes to some of these questions, it’s probably time to connect with the supporting- supportive and caring adult who can help.

Reaching out can help prevent problems from getting worse.

You can reach out to your parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, caring adults, family doctor or family members, religious, cultural or spiritual leaders.

This information and resources to find help are available on School Mental Health Ontario’s website for students and are linked in the description below.

Thank you so much for sharing that Huda.

So I know for me at least, asking for help might feel like a big step.

So what are some of the challenges that you might have faced when asking for help?

And what advice do you have for others who are thinking about asking for help?

So for me personally, I’m just like used to doing things like on my own and like independently.

So it just—asking for help sometimes does feel- make you feel vulnerable.

But now I know that asking for help doesn’t make you feel weak. For sure, yeah. In my experience, I also face challenges with being vulnerable as well and having the courage to speak up about if I’m facing mental health challenges, especially due to the stigma surrounding mental health topics.

And by surrounding myself with groups like Thrive, who encourage to prioritize your well-being, it made me realize that if I want to be my best self and continue to do the things that I love, then I have to put myself first and speak to someone about how I was feeling or use healthy coping strategies to help myself. And after doing so, I felt very empowered and liberated that I was putting myself first as well.

In school, when I finally reached out, sometimes it did feel like my requests were being pushed off, but it led me to really lean on communities that I may not have thought of seeking out before, like school clubs or my local library, my friends, my family. They can also be different forms of support as well.

Great, those are some really great examples. Thank you for sharing, folks.

I know especially for students, it is really hard to reach out for that support, but I always want you to remember that you are so important and you are valued and you know the adults who care about you in the space, especially in their school spaces, will hopefully be able to provide you with the support that you need.

How do you ask for help again, even though you’ve already had the opportunity to get it and it was turned down or you outgrew it?

That’s a really good question, Mady.

I just want to firstly acknowledge that it’s really difficult when you experience a situation like that and might feel a little bit hurtful and kind of like a bit like a rejection because you mustered up this courage to ask this, you know, this very real hurt that you’re experiencing that you need this support and it hurts when someone’s not able to give you that support that you need.

I think what’s really important is to remember that you are important and worthy of getting help. So if an adult is not able to provide you with that support, remember that there are many other caring adults that can provide you that support.

So I would say reach out to someone else who can give you that support but remember that you advocating for yourself is very powerful.

And if you do feel like that you outgrew it, that is totally okay. Maybe that’s something that, you know, comes back to you in the future, but always remember that that experience was specific to that adult and that not all adults may turn you down for providing support.

Yeah, so adding on to Mady’s question, what if you feel like your problems aren’t big enough compared to other people to ask for help?

This is something I see a lot with students.

I think often, we minimize and dismiss what we’re experiencing because we compare ourselves to others.

What’s really important is how you feel. So it’s always important to ask because you are important. So you deserve to be heard whether or not you feel like it is too big or too small.

But if it’s something that’s causing even a little bit of discomfort for you, I always recommend asking, right, because the worst-case scenario is someone isn’t able to provide you with the support that you need, but you can find that support in other spaces.

Yeah, thank you so much for sharing that insight.

And it just goes to show that seeking support is different for everyone. And while it can be a challenging process, it is also very empowering as well.

And I would like to ask, what are some of the benefits for asking for help?

For me, it allowed me to see that I’m not alone with the things that I’m struggling with and gave me some strategies to use to become a better version of myself and that there are people who care about me.

I feel like for me, the best thing about asking for help is having more support and knowing that you’re not alone.

For me, it’s one of the benefits that I think for asking for help like give are that once you really start to like ask people like the first time you do it, it’s easier and easier to open up and like kind of you get the help that you need and get the support and advice that you need.

So wondering, how does everyone take care of themselves?

I’ll go first. For me, taking care of myself is kind of just like if I need to like spend time with myself. So that usually includes maybe like taking like a nice bath, watching a nice TV show, maybe rewatching some classic movies like Descendants, which is what I’ve been binge watching recently.

And overall, just kind of taking time for myself and like kind of just like trying to like recenter the focus that I don’t need to worry about the past or the future, I’m right now in the moment and I should be happy that I am. Just live in the moment.

Yeah. Some strategies that I use, like I mentioned before, journaling. I find that really helps ground me and helps me brainstorm, like my emotions, and I can look back at it to reflect and see how I was feeling in that moment.

Sometimes it even looks like me just calling a friend or watching a show that I like, playing a video game. Just putting time into doing things that I like.

Yes. And then for me personally, I do like running and breathing. So just, yeah, finding time for yourself is always a good idea.

For me, I love movement. So whether it’s like walking outside on like a nature trail, going to the beach, going to the gym, doing yoga, I’ve always just been someone who like, you’ve probably noticed like I’m moving around a bit even as I’m sitting here. I love just like moving. That’s my favorite way to take care of myself.

Yeah, I think it’s really interesting that everyone has different strategies and different ways that they cope with themselves.

I think it really shows how complex mental health is and how it really is different for everyone. How something that works for somebody else might not work out for someone else.

And I think it’s important that we, you know, try out different charge and see what works best for us.

So a good analogy that I like to think of when I’m thinking of mental health is that if I’m taking care of a plant, I need to consider the soil nutrients, sunlight, and amount of water to ensure that that specific plant stays healthy.

I can’t water it but keep it in complete darkness and expect it to grow just because it has water.

Likewise, people need a variety of strategies to take care of their whole selves.

And building onto that, every plant is different.

One might need more sunlight and water than another, for example.

People like plants all have different needs as we’re all unique and it’s important for each of us to find the right resources and strategies for ourselves to feel good and that will look different for everyone.

So as we’re wrapping up for today, what is everyone’s key take away from this conversation?

So for me, one of the main things I’m taking away from this is that everyone’s different and although mental- like a mental health, everyone has it.

There are different ways to cope with it.

And never be scared to ask for advice because there’s always more benefits than cons from asking advice.

I think I’m taking away a similar message that everyone has their own ways of coping and all those coping strategies are valid as long as they are healthy and make you happy.

And it looks different for everyone.

And for my takeaway, it is mostly that mental health and mental illness are different, but they do coexist and interlap.

And for me, I’m thinking of actually that plant analogy.

I love that reminder of like, you can’t just put water in it and keep it in the dark.

Literally thinking of my plant downstairs that is just sitting in the dark with water.

So that was a helpful reminder that different things work at different times for us.

So thanks for spending your time watching this episode and make sure to stay tuned for the next episode where we discuss misinformation on social media.

Remember to follow us on Instagram @ThriveSMH or sign up for School Mental Health Ontario’s student e-mail list to hear more about new projects and opportunities to get involved.

I hope to see you in the next episode.

Hi everyone, welcome to School Mental Health Ontario and ThriveSMH’s video podcast. In this series, we are discussing mental health and mental illness and how they’re represented in social media.

In this episode, we will be discussing misinformation on social media. But first, let’s introduce ourselves.

My name is Mady, my pronouns are she/her. I’m in grade 10, and I’m from Manitoulin Island.

Hi, my name is Kirin. My pronouns are she/her. I’m in my first year of university, and I reside in Brampton.

Hi everyone, my name is Shwedhaa. I’m also in grade 10, and my pronouns are she/her, and I’m from Scarborough, Toronto.

Hi everyone, my name is Huda. My pronouns are she/her, and I’m the Newcomer Student Mental Health Consultant here at School Mental Health Ontario, and I’m from Durham region.

So, to get things started up, I’m gonna hit you guys with a life changing question. When considering—if you have free time and you could choose one of these options, which one would you do? Go skydiving or read a book?

I feel like I would probably just choose a book.

Yeah, I’m with Mady. I would rather read a book like I need to—I’m trying to start my reading era right now. While I would like to think that I would like to try a daredevilish act of skydiving I, I know I could not do it. I would not make it through.

Guys, we only live once. We have to get out our comfort zone, try new things. Guys, come skydiving with me, like, it can’t be that bad. Like, worst is like you break your head. That can’t be that bad.

I’m literally thinking about it. I feel like my heart says skydive, but my mind says, girl, read a book.

Seems like you’ll be doing a solo skydiving trip, which I support you on. I support you. But since today is all about social media, I’m curious, how do each of you use social media? What purpose does it serve in your life?

For me, I often use social media as a tool of entertainment or inspiration. I like to find a lot of cool outfit inspo on Pinterest or YouTube, or I just scroll the Internet just to have a little laugh. It helps me communicate with my peers. Especially starting this new chapter of university, lets me know what’s going on at my school.

So I feel like for me, I use social media just to like stay connected with family and friends. I live in a pretty rural area so it’s good to like connect with people that are away. I also find that Pinterest is kind of cool too, like with recipe ideas.

Yeah, for me, guys, I’m a little bit addicted to TikTok. Love to bother my mom and dad, sending them useless TikToks they’re probably not watching and just replying, so I’ll stop sending them. And I’m always on my phone, so I’m always, you know, on Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, one of those three. But yeah, I love using it to text my friends, as well, and bother them, as well.

I honestly love like the funny reels on Instagram, specifically, so I’m always sending it to friends or family who don’t live nearby. Sometimes I won’t even say, “Hi, how are you?” I’ll just straight up send a reel. This is us. That’s just my way of keeping relationships with some of my friends. I also like to read like what’s going on like in the mental health field and like, just like education and stuff. So sometimes I’ll read like boring stuff like that as well. I literally don’t read the news. I get everything from social media.

I’m just curious to everyone, how do you find that social media influences your mental health?

For me, sometimes, it can make me feel positive because I’m watching a funny video or I’m catching up with one of my friends but I’m gonna be honest, a lot of the time social media just makes me feel very icky and like miserable because there’s so much content to consume it kind of feels overwhelming at times and a lot of comparison on social media.

Yeah for me, definitely, you know when I’m watching my minion TikToks I’m having a great time. I’m chilling. I love seeing Gru on my for you page all the time. But when I’m like procrastinating and trying to, you know, push away the fact that I have homework and I’m on TikTok, I like really easily get sucked into like the vortex, the black hole of social media. Trust me. I have tried to put the phone down and someone’s whispering in my ear, “one more TikTok, one more TikTok.” So, you know what, just gotta watch one more TikTok and then one turns to 10 and then 10 turns to 50 and before you know it’s 9 pm and I have to go eat dinner. But definitely I think it’s how I use it that affects how my mental health works. So if I’m like, okay, I can watch for 10 minutes, but I gotta do this, you know, I’m good to go. But if I don’t set like restrictions for myself, I do tend to feel like more down because I’m like, watching so much content that my brain doesn’t have time to process what I’m watching and it just makes me feel like overstimulated sometimes as well.

And then for me it’s mostly like the unrealistic standards. Like I think a couple years ago there was like the trend of the “that girl” or the “it girl”. It was just like really unrealistic and hard to compare yourself to.

Thanks for sharing y’all. I really appreciate all of your answers, and I definitely know what that vortex is. It really does sound like someone’s whispering in your ear, so that’s real. I definitely even struggle with that myself.

I actually want to share a little bit of research around social media.

So social media has been found to impact young people’s mental health both positively and negatively. So, some of the positives include facilitating social interaction and connections. So, similar to like what I said, sometimes I’ll just send some reels to folks. Impacts on communication; so online conversations don’t require immediate responses or non-verbal cues. And lastly, opportunity for self-expression.

And so some of the negative effects of social media on mental health include cyberbullying, a fear of missing out if you’re not part of the social media world, social comparison, pressure, feeling of isolation after being rejected by others on social media, like if someone doesn’t accept your friend request or follow you back, replacing in person social interactions with online ones leading to isolation. And lastly, especially when we’re doom scrolling, poor sleep.

Definitely all the pros and cons you mentioned, I can definitely relate to them. Like sometimes, you know, it’s a good way to like like contact my friends who don’t live as close to me by you know annoying them and spamming them with reels. But also, I think, poor sleep is definitely something I struggle with.

So with these cons, what are some ways that you guys set boundaries with yourself with social media?

So, like I said earlier, I tend to set myself like a mini schedule or like an alarm because if I just tell myself ten minutes, I’m not gonna do it in ten minutes. If I set an alarm and my phone’s going, “get back to work, Shwedhaa!” I’m gonna get off my phone. I’m gonna feel a bit threatened if my own phone is telling me to get off TikTok. So definitely putting restrictions on myself and being realistic becauseI know if it’s just two minutes, I’m not gonna listen. It’s like a good 10 minutes. I can put it away, do what I’m doing and then go back to watching TikTok.

So for me, I find like deleting the actual social media apps, like when I have busy things going on in my life, like during exam time, I’ll just delete the app and then just like takes away the temptation to go on.

Same, yeah, I started out like, you know, going into my settings and putting like a specific timer. But I was—I would always like retype in the password and just keep scrolling. I would not listen to the restriction, unfortunately. So instead, I also delete the app and sometimes I would try and sneak on my laptop and go into the browser version. So I got like a blocking website extension. So it just, it cuts it off for me. And yeah, it keeps me, it keeps me off there.

I love all of these boundaries that you all shared. Those are actually some of the ones that I do as well. I also have to literally delete the app or ask like my friend to delete the apps because that’s just where we are at this point.

But some examples pulled from managing social media fatigue is setting limits. So, similar to what you folks shared, establish boundaries by setting daily time limits for social media usage. So consider using features on platforms that remind you when you’ve reached the limit that you’ve set. Digital detox. So, dedicate certain hours of the day or even entire days to disconnect from social media. So, use this time to engage in offline activities that bring you joy.

Curate your feed. Unfollow accounts that make you feel, you know, anxious or inadequate or make you feel like you’re comparing yourself to others and follow accounts that promote positivity, inspiration, and well-being.

Be mindful of your emotions and needs. So before scrolling, take a moment to check in with yourself. Are you in the right headspace to engage with social media right now?

Focus on real life connections. So, spend quality time with friends, family, and community offline. Having face-to-face interactions can be refreshing and fulfilling.

Hobbies and passions. So, rediscover or develop new hobbies that aren’t connected to screens. These can be outlets for creativity and relaxation.

Lastly, educate yourself. So, learn about the impact of social media on mental health. Understanding the psychological aspects can help you make informed decisions.

So now, let’s take a moment to talk about what we mean by mental health information. Mental health information is information that you can rely on to support your mental health and manage mental health problems or mental health- and mental illnesses if you need to. This is different from when you may be looking for inspiration, entertainment or people to share your interests.

So for me, I try to stay away from social media when it comes to mental health information, just because I know how easy it is to just post something without doing proper research or just like not being fully aware of what the topic is. So sometimes, I might just Google something and you know, just in case my English teachers watching this, I don’t use Wikipedia, okay? I try to use websites that are approved by clinicians or like people who know what they’re doing. But even if I want some general advice, it’s like online forums like Quora or Reddit. They have scenarios that I can relate to, and it can help me find advice.

I usually go to like credible sources like Thrive, School Mental Health Ontario, or the Kids Help Phone. When I do use social media, it’s often to just validate that there are people, you know, going through similar experiences as me. But I also like to take it offline and speak to people who actually know me and aren’t making generalizations to an audience. They understand who I am and my experiences.

And then for myself, I do like to also stick to credible sources.

So I know About Kids Health is a really good one. And sometimes I’ll use Mayo Clinic.

I think it’s great that we all came up with great points about how we can use social media if needed, but, it is better to stick to credible resources. Like you said, Mayo Clinic and Thrive SMH also has really good points as well.

And I think it is important that we’re kind of trying to stay away from social media. We do come to get mental health advice because it is really easy to see misinformation and think the wrong things.

So misinformation refers to false or misleading information, broadly. Misinformation is also an umbrella term, so it also includes things like disinformation or misleading, ambiguous information.

Disinformation refers to false or misleading information that one spreads deliberately to deceive or mislead others. Misleading or ambiguous information involves sharing information without the full context, for example, if people are sharing personal experiences as fact rather than acknowledging individual differences.

Have you spotted misinformation on social media? Why do you think it was false information?

I have definitely seen some misinformation on social media. I know one of the more current trends that I have been seeing on Instagram was the, “Oh, I wasn’t sad, I needed to… blank”. And so they weren’t actually validating that it’s okay to be sad sometimes, and it’s just kind of speaking as sadness as like missing a material thing.

Yeah, I’ve seen that trend a lot around as well. And, for me, something I saw that kind of stuck with me was a video and it talked about that anxiety happens because of our cortisol levels and if we exercise, anxiety is gonna go away. Just need to exercise and be confident. Don’t stress out. And obviously, I’m not no nutritionist health dietitian person but, from my experiences, I don’t think taking a couple steps is just gonna make my anxiety go poof. Like obviously it does have an effect—I’m not saying it doesn’t. But I think anxiety is more complex than the fact that our cortisol levels are just high, but yeah.

I also saw a lot of misinformation on social media as well to add to what you folks have said. But with like—from companies trying to sell products that are, you know, supposed to, to cure your your mental health or your mental health problems or your mental illness, when they’re really just trying to profit off of people who are in a vulnerable state. And it’s really frustrating to see how they’re trying to exploit them with tools that have not had proper research done about them.

I’ve also noticed trend in language where people are misusing words like “impulsive” and “intrusive thoughts” and using them interchangeably despite them being different experiences and it’s just interesting to see how some words are being co-opted and being used in an incorrect context.

Yeah, thank you for sharing, everyone. It’s always disappointing seeing misinformation about mental health on social media, especially as clinician.

This is a newer area of research, so there isn’t a lot on mental health specifically in social media. However, in one study, a group of medical professionals from the US analyzed 500 videos on TikTok that were tagged #MentalHealthAdvice or #MentalHealthTips. The team identified 31% of the videos as “not scientifically accurate” and 14% as “potentially damaging”, for example, suggesting users take specific medications. So, I really want you to take a minute to think about how many videos you might scroll through in a day. Now imagine about one in three of those are sharing wrong information. So people who use social media more often, such as young people, are consuming more misinformation. Repeated exposure is a major reason why people start believing false information.

Personally, I am not shocked about how much misinformation there is. You know, social media, such a wide place, anyone can upload whatever they want, whether that is backed up by credible research or not. But it does, you know, make me wonder, how much am I consuming and how much am I, you know, spreading to people I know? I often see misinformation in ads or even videos that I just scroll by.

Yeah, definitely agreeing with what Kirin said, it’s so easy to post things on social media and although it is a pretty big number, I kind of expect it, kind of not. But I think it’s also kind of like, it’s not just people who are making these things up just for views, also like people who see advice and maybe post it, it’s like a kind of like a chain, like a cycle of misinformation. I think that’s also really interesting about how that contributes to the fact that not everything we see on social media is true.

Then for me, I never actually really paid attention to a lot of the misinformation, but now that we’re seeing how much of these serious subjects are that you see on social media, they could be fake. I never really noticed that. I think that it’s dangerous or at least harmful because it is really easy to post and then you’re taking wrong information because, like Huda said, the more you see misinformation, the more likely you are to believe it and you can believe it without even like, if you’re conscious, you’re not even thinking about it, you’re just thinking that it’s true. So, I think that it really is harmful because people who aren’t as advised, aren’t as aware as what misinformation is, can take in the wrong information and it can really damage them in the future.

And then I think for me, it’s just like the big cycle that it is, like you spread it to others without even thinking, just an ongoing cycle. I think misinformation often targets people who are vulnerable and seeking answers and who are willing to, you know, maybe not take a second look. And sometimes the information like how we mention, you know, taking certain medications or maybe like trying certain foods without fully knowing the history or experiences of the person who is intaking that media, it can be dangerous having no research behind it and again generalizing to an audience.

Yeah, those are really great observations. Thank you everyone for sharing that.

It’s so important for us to be mindful of the impact that misinformation can have. So there was a research study done looking at Facebook and Reddit groups for obsessive compulsive and related disorders. In these groups, despite people sharing that they encountered misinformation, more than 1/3 of people, 37% to be exact, reported using the information that they found in these groups to make decisions about how they manage their illness. The challenging thing about this is that many people reported not consulting a health professional before they made these changes.

These results are telling us that social media users may trust peer-to-peer recommendations as a reliable source of mental health advice, to the point where they don’t follow up with professional guidance. This can be really harmful because it might lead to incorrect perceptions of mental health and illness and delay access to appropriate care.

So why do you all think that people, despite knowing that there is a lot of misinformation on social media, still go to social media for mental health information?

I think that not a lot of people may have access to mental health professionals, or they don’t know where to look, have a community that they can turn to, you know, ask these questions that people are asking on social media or it may be taboo and social media is a quick and easy way that feels personal to ask those lingering questions and get a response too.

Yeah, definitely about social media being accessible to anyone because when you’re trying to get professional help, you have to find a person, find a location, find a time that works for the best for both of you, then call. Then just like some new process where with social media, just a couple taps on really any device you have, you can find something or some kind of answer to your question. So I think it really is just because of how accessible it is and how much content and misinformation there is that’s posted. So I feel like, you know, people feel connected if they’re seeing someone online that are going through the same things that you’re going through. You just feel like trusting and you just feel like connected.

Those are some really great responses.

Honestly, some people just really want to feel seen and heard and like, you like you shared, you folks shared that it’s so easy to get that on social media. So it is understandable.

So another, another reason why actually a lot of folks find it really easy to just access information on social media is because there are very real barriers to mental health support.

And I know this as someone who has, you know, worked with schools, worked in community mental health. Especially we know for Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2S/LGBTQ+ folks, there are very real additional barriers to mental health.

But even though we know that these barriers are real, I want you to know that it is very much possible to receive that help through different avenues. And we do have resources that are going to be listed below.

So even though you’re you may be experiencing those barriers, I want to give you a little bit of hope that it is possible to seek out support with a caring adult who does genuinely care about you.

And so our goal in this episode was never to tell others what they should do because, at the end of the day, there are many reasons why people turn to social media for mental health information. Instead, we want you to consider where you get your mental health information from.

Here are some things to keep in mind when considering what online sources you can rely on.

This information is from School Mental Health Ontario’s resources on evaluating online mental health information, which is linked in the description below. These tips can be used when thinking about social media but can also be helpful about thinking about online sources in general.

So first step is consider the content. So does the content reflect up to date evidence rather than personal experiences alone? And are the messages shared supported by other sources? Also, avoid offering—do they avoid offering quick fixes or simple solutions to complex issues? Do they acknowledge individual differences in mental health needs and experiences? And does the information clearly state that its content is not a substitute for professional advice and encourages users to seek professional support when or if appropriate? If it’s yes to most of these questions, that’s a pretty good start. If it’s no to the most of these questions, proceed with caution or consider another source.

Next, consider the “who” is behind the content? Does the creator have any training, education, or traditional/cultural knowledge that would position them to offer mental health information? Are they linked with a known mental health group or organization? If yes to most of these questions, that’s a good sign. If no to most of these questions, proceed with caution or consider another source.

Finally, consider if the content is a good fit for you. Is the source respectful of you and your identity? Accessible in your own language, culture, and community? Respectful of people experiencing mental illness? It doesn’t contribute to stigma by dramatizing mental health issues for views. Is it focused on helping meet your needs rather than its own, like by selling me something or collecting your personal information? And is it engaging, relatable, easy to understand, sensitive, it’s not graphic or upsetting or anything else that is important to you. If yes to all these questions, this seems like a reliable source. If yes to these questions but no to a previous question, proceed with caution or consider another source. If no, this seems like it could be a deal breaker, and you might want to consider another source.

All right, so your mental health journey is unique and there are a variety of supports you can draw on. It’s important to remember that you don’t need to know everything. Rather, find a circle of support, supportive people, trusted resources and services who can help you along the way. Not all strategies and coping skills may be applicable or work for you. So it’s important to find out what fits you such as music, dance, art, etcetera.

So some strategies that you can use in terms of finding a mental health clinician, especially if you’re in school, you can seek out different clubs. You can find your school social worker, asking your guidance counselor or any other caring adult that you may have in your community. It’s so important for you to advocate for yourself when seeking mental health support.

So as we are, sadly, wrapping up today’s episode, I think something I’ve taken away is that not everything you see on social media can be trustable and you should always make sure that sources you take information from or read are very credible.

What I’m taking away from this are that there are real systemic barriers of oppression as to why people may turn to social media as a tool to learn about mental health and find mental health support.

I also think that mental health online, while it can be validating sometimes, the sources that we’re getting them from don’t always have our best interest in mind unfortunately. So it’s important to surround yourself with people who you trust and genuinely care about you to provide those healthy coping strategies.

And for me for wrapping up this episode, one thing that I am taking away is definitely like watching what you’re perceiving and taking in from social media and making sure it is from a credible source. So there was one piece I was actually thinking about that you shared earlier. And I love how you mentioned like checking the credibility to make sure that who you’re watching is a mental health professional or someone who has a background or training. I think that’s a really good way to sift out and being mindful of what you’re watching and who, who you’re listening to.

All right, thank you everyone for spending your time with us today. Check out the next episode where we discuss how mental illness is talked about and shown on social media. Follow us on Instagram @ThriveSMH or sign up for School Mental Health Ontario’s student email list to hear about new projects and opportunities to get involved. Bye!

Hi everyone, welcome to School Mental Health Ontario and ThriveSMH’s video podcast. This is episode 3 in the series where we’re discussing mental health and mental illness and how they’re represented in social media. In today’s episode, we will be discussing how mental illness is shown in social media.

But first, let’s introduce ourselves. I am Kirin, my pronouns are she/her. I am in my first year of university and I live in Brampton.

Hi everyone, my name is Mady, my pronouns are she/her. I’m in grade 10 and I live in Manitoulin Island.

Hi everyone, my name is Shwedhaa my pronouns are she/her. I just started grade 10 and I’m from Scarborough.

Hi everyone, my name is Huda. My pronouns are she/her. I’m the Newcomer Student Mental Health Consultant here at School Mental Health Ontario and I’m from Durham region.

Okay, let’s start with an icebreaker. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Personally, I think I would like to go to Hawaii and go surfing.

For a few years now I’ve been wanting to visit Japan. They have so many beautiful landscapes and delicious food I would love to eat, and they have a lot of stores that revolve around my interests like my love for collecting trinkets and J fashion.

You guys are giving very nice and sophisticated answers. If I could personally answer it, I would like to go underground with the worms, with the groundhogs. I just want to see what the living situation is. You know how my worm buddies doing. I also heard that if half a worm falls off, the other worm like grows back. I want to see if that’s true as well. Just anywhere as long as it’s underground, in the dark, in the dirt, no humans.

I was not expecting the underground, so I love that. For me, it would definitely be Maldives. That’s like, I’ve always wanted to go there. I love water, like I’m a big water girl. So that is my plan, hopefully one day.

So, in the last episode—if you haven’t watched it, go watch it—we talked about mental health misinformation on social media. To remind everyone, misinformation refers to false or misleading information. Misinformation also includes things like disinformation or misleading or ambiguous information. Disinformation is false information that spreads intentionally to deceive or mislead others. However, misleading or ambiguous information involves sharing information without the full context. For example, if people are sharing personal experiences as fact rather than acknowledging individual differences.

Building on to that, as a reminder of just how much misinformation is shared, there was a study done in the US where medical professionals reviewed 500 TikTok videos that were tagged with #MentalHealthAdvice or #MentalHealthTips. Of these videos, 31% of them shared information that was not scientifically accurate, and 14% shared information that was potentially damaging, like suggesting the audience take a specific medication. This is a newer area of research, so we’re still learning about just how many videos share misinformation, but it seems like there is a lot out there. This is important to remember because the information, including the misinformation that people are gathering on TikTok is having a really large impact on how people talk and see mental illness online.

What are some of the things you’re noticing and how mental illness is shown in social media?

What I’ve noticed on social media is a lot of stigmatizing language revolving around mental illness and using mental illness as a derogatory term misrepresenting certain mental illnesses. For example, something that I see commonly is OCD being solely represented as being a perfectionist or an example of the derogatory use of a mental illness would be, you know, saying somebody that is doing something that might be a little like silly as like bipolar.

I’ve seen examples of that, crazy or psychotic, just furthering the stigma and notion that mental illness is something quirky, a personality trait or erasing the true barriers that come with having a mental illness. And this language that is online can also translate in real life.

Yeah, definitely adding to what Kirin said, like mental illnesses being used to just, everyday slang or like, you know, hip words to say like I’d like personally don’t understand the appeal of it especially when people are going through mood swings.

That’s something I thought that was really consistent is that people always say, “oh I’m so bipolar. I was mad this morning and now I’m happy,” but being bipolar doesn’t necessarily work like that. It’s just mood swings and it kind of puts down the fact that bipolar isn’t actually a mental illness but rather just like a state of mind and like everyone has and it’s quirky when really there are a lot of things that aren’t talked about a lot on social media regarding certain disorders.

And I think, also how mental health and mental illness are always so stigmatized those with a negative light surrounding it and when people like, try to speak up for their experiences sometimes they might get shut down because they aren’t big enough or not real enough.

And for me, I also see like lots of the ignorance towards the struggles that come—that might come with mental illnesses. Feel like on social media, it doesn’t always represent and show how all the different struggles that you might experience.

Those are some really great pieces. Thank you everyone for sharing that. For me, actually like a really big piece, especially as a mental health practitioner, it makes me really concerned when I see certain misinformation because it’s very dismissive to people who have mental health challenges.

So I’m going to share a little bit about the research. So monetization of mental health is sensationalizing mental illness and making merchandise and accessories to make a profit. Romanticizing mental health is portraying mental health as glamour-glamorous. Normalization of symptoms associated with mental illness, where symptoms of a mental illness are considered, are considered common everyday experiences rather than a sign of distress, impairment, or illness.

For example, behaviors related to obsessive compulsive disorder, which is also OCD, such as frequent hand washing or checking rituals, may be trivialized, trivialized as mere quirks or personality traits, rather than recognized as symptoms of a debilitating mental health condition. Mental illness is depicted as an aesthetic, as a display of a quirky personality or accessories for their Instagram feed.

And what is the effect is this having on people?

That’s a really good question. So there is a lot of impact, such as a lack of empathy and understanding towards those struggling with mental health challenges. People might feel invalidated or worried to seek help, fearing that their concerns will not be taken seriously.

So videos could lead to the pathologization of normal experiences or misattributions of other disorder symptoms. Self-diagnosis, determining that they have a mental illness based on the limited information shared in the image/video can be harmful because it may lead to incorrect perceptions of one’s mental health, delay access to appropriate interventions, making them feel like something is wrong when it’s actually on the typical end of functioning. And lastly, lead to the adoption of labels that don’t accurately represent their experience or symptoms.

So say if a young person was starting to think that they had a mental illness because of what they’re seeing on social media, what should they do?

So some ideas that students can do if they feel like they may have a mental illness, especially based off what you’re seeing on social media, is I would really encourage you to see a mental health professional for a consultation. So they may refer you for an assessment or further support if needed.

It’s also important to learn from credible sources such as Kids Help Phone and we’ll also list a few resources for yourself and your needs. Find a circle of supportive people who can help advocate for you. So, make sure to head back to episode one for some strategies to seek help. The link’s in the description below.

What are some of the reasons a person might or might not seek help for a mental illness?

So I know from at least my experience, I would think if you might not reach out for help because mental health is really stigmatized, especially in a lot of cultures. And if they do get like real, a real diagnosis, they might think certain like negative traits about themselves, like associate that with the diagnosis and like kind of just trying to like, oh, I have so and so like, I’m not like a normal person, like I’m not okay anymore. And might just kind of be a reason like maybe I shouldn’t get the diagnosis and confirm it. But also, people might want to go and get it like confirmed because when you do have like a clear like definition of, okay, I have this, I can find people who can help me and help me cope with this and manage ways so I can be happy with my mental illness.

I think that some people might not want to seek help for a mental illness just because of worrying about getting labeled or being put in a box that will label you. But I think overall, it would be a good idea to seek help.

Yeah. And to add to what you both were saying, I think some might not want to seek help for their mental illness because it’s inaccessible to them. For example, it’s not structured in a way that is helpful to the individual. They may not have access to transportation or a device. So those are some factors as to why they might not. Some individuals may want to seek help for a mental illness so that they can learn coping strategies, and like Shwedhaa said, like be happy while having a mental illness. It can be validating, knowing what exactly might be causing what you’re feeling and impacting your life in that way. So those are some really good reasons as to why people might not get support for their mental health.

I, I want to include some reasons actually of why people may get some support for their mental health. So especially in schools, if you are experiencing a mental illness, it’s best to get support from a mental health practitioner. So that way you can get some extra supports at school such as like accommodations and more time for doing your assignments.

And I’m also going to share some strategies in terms of overcoming barriers for seeking care. So like we shared in our previous episode, if you do ask an adult for support and they’re not able to support you in the ways that you need, it’s so important to go to trusted resources like Kids Help Phone or also check out some of our resources in terms of trying to overcome those barriers.

Another piece of advice in terms of overcoming those barriers is really like joining different school clubs that may be specific to mental health. The teacher, for example, might be aware of some other resources also your guidance counselor, your school social worker as well. These are some folks who may have some support and support strategies to share with you and also some resources in your local area to share.

Yeah, thank you so much for the like amazing points, and I really enjoyed the advice. So sometimes on social media, it seems like people are using their diagnosis as a source of credibility. Like, oh, I have this illness, therefore I am the expert. We say this not to dismiss their very real life experience, but keeping in mind that narrative belongs to that individual and to be mindful that it’s not applicable or credible to everyone. And we know that it might not be a good source of mental health information. We shared some tips and advice for finding supportive mental health information in episode 2.

What that might do is take away from the normal ups and downs of mental health that we talk about in episode 1. Like, you can no longer be experiencing poor mental health, but rather you must have a mental illness to justify taking the break to recharge. What advice do you have for young people who are going through a tough time?

So for me, I would definitely like recommend talking to a trusted adult like as your parents or a teacher or a school counselor. Consider taking a break from extracurriculars to focus on prioritizing your mental health.

I think my advice is to use what strategies work for you. You may not know which one does, but it’s all about trial and error, seeing what makes you happy and brings you joy. And it does take some time to develop, so if it’s not clicking immediately, that’s okay. There are many different strategies out there like meditation, indulging yourself in something you had to push off because of school, or other sort of stressors like unwinding and playing your favorite video game or reading a book. It could be some alone time or spending time with others, whatever it looks like to you, that is okay and there’s no one way to cope.

So the advice I have for young people who are going through a tough time is remember that you are not alone. I know when you’re going through a tough time, it can feel very defeating, and it could really feel like that end of the world. But how are you feeling, especially as you’re going through a tough time is temporary or mental health and or mental illness goes up and down. So remember, you won’t always be feeling this down and there are supports available, right? And you matter, and it’s really important that you really take good care of yourself because you deserve to be, and feel healthy and happy.

So as we’re wrapping up this series, what words of wisdom do you want to share with other young people in the province?

So for me, I want to say it’s always important to take time and breaks for yourself.

So for me, what’s really what I really hope that folks can take away is that you are very important and you are very valuable and you deserve to feel content and have a peace of mind. So remember that you are deserving.

My very inspirational, motivational, wise words to end this series is that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes.

I think my words of wisdom are just to be mindful of the language that we use and sometimes we may not even be aware of it and have to, you know, check ourselves and ask ourselves if what we’re saying is contributing to a stigma and is it shaping our community in a positive way. So our words hold weight and I think that is something important to always be aware of and reflect on.

So thank you for spending your time with us. Make sure to follow us on Instagram @ThriveSMH or sign up for School Mental Health Ontario’s student email list to hear about new projects and opportunities to get involved. Thank you so much. Bye!

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