UNIT 6 LAB QUESTIONS

Mental Health For All

1. Vikram Patel states that suicide is the leading cause of death for young people worldwide, in both the poorest and wealthiest countries. Does this statistic surprise you? Why or why not?
2. According to Vikram Patel, approximately 500 million people are suffering from and struggling with mental illness around the world though the majority of them are not receiving proper care. What does Patel attribute to this lack of proper mental health care?
3. What might the short-term and long-term effects be for people suffering from mental illness without proper care? What might the short-term and long-term effects be on the families and friends of people struggling with untreated mental illness?
4. Vikram Patel suggests that training community members to make mental health interventions is the ideal solution to providing more widespread mental health care. Do you feel that this is a realistic approach to solving the shortage of mental health providers?
5. Although Vikram Patel mainly focuses on how the SUNDAR model assists underdeveloped and developing countries, he states that his model would also be empowering in more developed countries. What does he mean by empowering? How does his idea offer empowerment to the community?

Suicide and Life

1. Kevin Briggs shares signs to look for in people who may be contemplating suicide. After hearing those signs, have you ever known someone who was contemplating suicide? If so, how did you handle it? If not, what would you do if you found yourself in a situation where someone you knew was contemplating suicide?
2. What is one of the most important things, according to Kevin Briggs, that a friend or family member can do for a person contemplating suicide?
3. Suicide abruptly ends the pain and suffering for the individual committing suicide, but what is the “collateral damage of suicide” that Kevin Briggs refers to?
4. Throughout the video, Kevin Briggs discusses various ways to effectively communicate with someone contemplating suicide that may just save that person’s life. What are some of these communication methods?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1 PARAGRAPH EACH

1. Go to organdonor.gov, and review the information about organ donation. Share one fact about organ donation that you did not know. Would you choose to be an organ donor? Why or why not?

2. Think of a situation in which seeking a second opinion would be a good idea. Why would a second opinion be helpful in this situation?

3. Have you ever tried keeping a journal? If you have, how does it help you? If not, how could you get in the habit?

4. Think of a time when you have had difficulty communicating with someone. What could you have done to make communication better? What strategies from the unit might have been useful?