When it comes to the Unit 2 Essay, I found it difficult to select a topic. This is because I need to write an extremely long essay that is at least 7 pages long. Finding 3 specific messages is not easy either. However, as a psychology student I decided to investigate the changing perception of mental health over the last 5 – 6 decades. I remember learning about how mental health wasn’t taken seriously in the past and how social media affects the perception of mental health nowadays.

My first turning point is the unsanitary treatment of mentally ill individuals in the early to mid 20th century. The mental health of people were disregarded and the treatment of mentally ill people were not taken seriously.

My first specific message is this:

This image is a photograph taken in the Pilgrim State Hospital Brentwood New York in the US. I chose this photo because it shows the poor conditions mentally ill people were back in 1940s

My second turning point is mental health getting taken seriously. The mental health of people started to become taken seriously to the extent that an entire day is dedicated for mental health awareness which is my second message. October 10th started to become celebrated as mental health day in 1992 which shows the positive shift in perception of mental health.

My third turning point is the influence of social media on mental health. With the introduction of social media, a lot of people started to share their own mental health issues with others which made it normalized and much less shameful. Moreover, with social media, a lot of people started to self diagnose mental illnesses without the confirmation of professional psychologists. As specific messages for this, I can select online “memes” about mental illnesses etc.

In conclusion, my topic is the changing perception of mental health and these are my main turning points.