Mental Health Awareness initiative sparks conversation through creativity

In a Mental Health Awareness Week initiative, a Whanganui health promoter is starting the conversation in the school classroom.

Former WHS student Sam Beatson-Shaw, who recently joined the Whanganui District Health Board's Public Health Centre, is encouraging students to have a go at mindful colouring.

A mindful colouring poster was sent to school nurses, who work closely with the centre. They distributed it for teachers to give to students to colour and draw in over the week.

"It was the Mental Health Foundation's initiative for exploring the way to wellbeing and the pictures are a way to start the conversation," Beatson-Shaw said.

It is a strength-based approach that tries to build people up before they encounter issues and get into states of poor mental health, he said.

"So if we give people good coping mechanisms before they get to that point we'll hopefully have a healthier population so that's where my focus is at the moment."

Having only recently started in his role, Beatson-Shaw wanted to roll something out for the awareness week and saw the initiative as a straightforward way of doing it.

"Mainly my approach was it was a way to get into the schools, build relationships with them, start the conversation really.

"If there's any help they need around mental health and wellbeing then I want them to be happy to come to me."

This week he met with Whanganui Girls' College's principal and has previously visited Whanganui High School.

The Public Health Centre is thinking of rewarding each school that completes the poster with an art pack but Beatson-Shaw said the students do not have to hand back the poster until November 14.

Beatson-Shaw said as he builds relationships with schools "it's all about breaking down that stigma, it's the main thing we've got to do I think".

Lucy Drake
Whanganui Chronicle 30/9/19