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• Activity - Values, Beliefs, Work and Mental Health

Activity - Values, Beliefs, Work and Mental Health

Aim
To examine our beliefs in relation to mental health and wellbeing

Materials
Paper and pen

Process
Read through the following statements and determine where you stand.

1. I consider you either have good mental health or you don't.
2. I believe you can build mental health and wellbeing.
3. I believe my mental health is a consistent characteristic for me.
4. I believe my mental health status changes often.
5. I believe childhood experiences are crucial for mental health.
6. I believe adult experience can have an impact on mental health.
7. I believe my physical and mental health are separate characteristics.
8. I believe my physical and mental health status are closely related.
9. I believe mental health affects all aspects of my life.
10. I believe mental health can be separated out from other areas of my life.
11. I believe mental health is about balance between various parts of my life.
12. I believe mental health is a particular characteristic.
13. I believe my mental health has improved with experience.
14. I believe my mental health is unaffected by experience.
15. I believe my mental health is entirely a personal aspect.
16. I believe in discussing my mental health.
17. I believe that getting help will improve mental health.
18. I believe that mental health help is severely limited in what it can do.
19. I believe my mental health is affected by others.
20. I believe my mental health is not affected by others.
21. I believe I can have a positive effect on other people's mental health.
22. I believe I have no effect on other people's mental health status.
23. I believe gender has an effect on aspects of mental health.
24. I believe that gender has no effect on mental health.
25. I believe that circumstance affects mental health.
26. I believe that mental health is a constant.
27. I believe that culture has links with mental health.
28. I believe learning and mental health have no links.
29. I believe work and mental health have links.
30. I believe work and mental health are unrelated.
31. I believe mental health is improved by thinking about it.
32. I believe that mental health is unaffected by thinking about it.
33. I believe mental health can be made worse by thinking about it.
34. I believe that mental health problems are not common.
35. I believe that my mental health is unaffected by events outside me.
36. I believe I know what has an impact on my mental health.
37. I believe I know about mental health.
38. I believe my attitude to life has no effect on my mental health status.
39. I believe I can affect my mental health status.
40. I believe my attitude to mental health has no effect on my mental health status.
41. I believe that being more logical and rational will benefit my mental health.
42. I believe that recognising emotions is beneficial for mental health.

Comment/debrief
Read the Australian Government pamphlets on mental health and wellbeing in the Help and Information section of this website.

Review some of your belief statement selections after reading the pamphlets. What information confirms your beliefs? Is there any information that needs to be followed up? Which of your actions in relation to your mental health and work are based around these beliefs? Are there any that need to be reconsidered?