English 240 is called Writing in the Public Sphere. As befitting a class of that title, we learned about the wide varieties of literatures and medias that can be considered public literature and intended for the public consumption. For the final project, I decided to do a sequenced five-piece visual media project to really take advantage of the variety offered in public sphere writings.
My main argument is that public schools in the United States need to adjust their treatment programs for mental health issues among their students. The current system is ineffective in reaching the student body and relies too heavily on medications. The adjustment I’m suggesting involves addressing the stigma surrounding mental health and seeking help by introducing various practices, such as mindfulness or yoga, which will expose students to practices that benefit mental health and reveal the importance of maintaining a balanced well-being. By exposing the students to this knowledge, they will be more willing to seek help themselves or encourage others to seek help. It will also improve current treatment and counseling services by creating a more open and honest environment in which more accurate diagnosis and treatment plans can be established.
The visual media project will reflect these ideas. The first section will be dedicated to mental health, including the detrimental effects, thereby emphasizing its importance. The second section will include the issues currently surrounding treatment and counseling services, mainly inaccuracy of diagnosis and overmedication. The third section will address the school-wide attention and intervention strategies mentioned above. The fourth section will include a visual of the effect of the strategies of the previous section on addressing the stigma and allowing for more open communication. The fifth and final section will include a visualization of the effect addressing mental health concerns can have, including a balanced well-being.
I am not an artist or a graphic designer, but I hope that by choosing the visual media for my project, I am able to demonstrate the accessibility of the public sphere and the truly wide array of medias introduced there.
Mental Health Matters 