Mental Health Awareness Week – an open access collection
For the last 23 years, the Mental Health Foundation has allocated a week in May to raising awareness and improving public understanding of mental health and the measures that can be taken to prevent poor mental health.
This year, Mental Health Awareness Week is being celebrated from 12 to 18 May with the theme being ‘community’, reminding us of the importance of connecting with others to feel a sense of belonging, purpose and support.
Applying this theme to the higher education sector, we understand the empowering sense of community that universities foster, and the positive influences these communities can have on student wellbeing.
In our latest carefully curated open access collection, titles explore the factors that contribute to mental health in the 21st century and provide thought-provoking insights into past, present and future perspectives on mental health.
1. An Interdependent Approach to Happiness and Well-Being by Yukiko Uchida and Jeremy Rappleye
The 20th century saw a period of huge economic growth, paving the way for materialism and the view that gross domestic product (GDP) is an accurate indicator of happiness.
The climate of the 21st century stands next to it in stark contrast, having seen a global pandemic, declining birthrates and a rapidly accelerating climate crisis.
If the GDP=happiness model isn’t working in the present day, what next? Uchida and Rappleye suggest the ‘Interdependent Well-Being’ approach as a refreshing replacement based on the concept that happiness is deeply connected to a sense of community.
2. 21st Century Media and Female Mental Health by Fredrika Thelandersson
The past 20 years have seen a distinct shift of affect in female mental health representation in western media.
From a media focus on happiness, productivity and success, this book traces the change to a space where sadness and mental distress are highly marketable and sometimes even assumed.
Discover how the emergence of ‘sad girl culture’ occurred as a direct result of an over-reporting of positivity and understand the implications of this change on women in the present day in this insightful and thought-provoking read.
3. Sustainability, Human Well-Being and the Future of Education by Justin W. Cook
Based on the societal model designed by the Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra), Cook describes a future that puts human wellbeing at its heart, whilst balancing the often volatile demands of the economy and the planet.
Throughout the book, Cook explores the role that education plays in teaching individuals, schools and communities to share knowledge and skills that create and work towards an alternative future.
4. Happiness, Well-Being and Sustainability by Laura Musikanski et al.
Explore the connection between personal wellbeing and sustainable social change in this insightful take on how we can leverage the seven principles of systems thinking to build a life that brings happiness to ourselves, our communities and supports the sustainability of the planet.
Not only an informative overview of the topic, but a valuable learning resource providing engaging exercises that encourage interaction with the content to support learning and additional research.
5. Making Mental Health by Elizabeth Roberts-Pedersen
Delve into the history of ‘madness’, institutionalisation and the tireless search for a cure in this critical account providing insight into the evolution of mental health throughout time.
Roberts-Pedersen addresses key questions in the field whilst providing a rich and balanced history of mental health perspectives, resulting in the normalisation of mental health as a popular topic of discussion in the present day.
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