Mental health awareness is the ongoing effort to reduce the stigma around mental illness and mental health conditions by sharing our personal experiences. Often, because of misconceptions about mental health and mental fitness, people often suffer in silence and their conditions go untreated.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Priests and all those involved in the pastoral ministry need to know that people with mental health challenges are part of their flock. They need to know how best they can administer to them pastorally, even without being experts in the field. They also need to know where to refer them to expert help. Below is the tentative timetable and content the module on Mental Health Ministry.