Create A Mental Health Educational Poster Assessment

Aim of the Assessment

Students will have the opportunity to develop their creativity and written skills as they create a mental health educational poster that can be used by consumers their carers / family and significant others. The poster will provide educational information that is easy to understand by non-professionals. With the use of non-jargonistic language and some visual information, you will be able to communicate your knowledge and provide education to help promote mental health and recovery of consumers and their carers/family/significant others.

Ruby’s story 

Ruby is a 20-year-old female who presented in Emergency Department (ED) due to changes in her mental health. She was brought in by her mother, Sylvia, who reported that she picked her daughter up from Melbourne and brought her back to Western Sydney after Ruby’s flatmate, Alicia, contacted her about the changes in Ruby’s mental health.  

Ruby has been living in Melbourne for the past year, where she works as a shoe sale assistant on a casual basis. She planned to return to Sydney before the end of the year to start her teaching degree in 2024. This was cut short due to the changes in Ruby’s mental health. According to Sylvia, Ruby has been going out and drinking alcohol every night the past few weeks with friends she met recently. Ruby has not had much sleep the past few weeks as she comes home most mornings just sleep for 2 to 3 hours and have a shower before going to work for 9 am. The manager of the shoe shop where Ruby work has warned her that she will lose her job if she continues arriving to work late and smelling of alcohol. Ruby has admitted to her flatmate Alicia that she has been smoking marijuana and experimenting with other illicit drugs with her new friends. Ruby stated, ‘I don’t' know what I’ve been taking, but it made me feel good.’  

Lately, the two friends would get into a verbal altercation when Alicia tried to talk to Ruby about the changes in her behaviour. Ruby would become irritable and angry and would say to Alicia, ‘you’re just jealous that I have met other people and I am enjoying myself without you. I can’t help it if people love me more than they love you. I want to make the most of this before I start uni.’   A few nights ago, Ruby called Alicia at 3 am to pick her up from their local pub. Ruby explained that she felt unsafe to go home on her own because she thought that she was being watched and followed by a guy who was in love with her. When they arrived at their flat, Ruby ran to her room and locked her door. The next day, she did not go to work and did not contact her employer. The manager of the shoe store contacted Ruby and informed her that she is no longer required to work in the store. Alicia thought that she would be devastated by this news as this is her only source of income. But Ruby told Alicia that ‘I was too good for that job anyway. It’s their loss’. 

Ruby did not leave the flat for the next few days. Alicia noticed changes in Ruby’s mood. She stayed in her room most of the time. She has not showered in days, ate little amounts of food, and had barely any sleep and would watch TV instead all night or watch YouTube videos on her phone. She stated to her flatmate that ‘I don’t want to sleep; I feel that something bad is about to happen’. One night, Ruby asked Alicia for help as she started to have thoughts of suicide, but with no plan of how she would hurt or kill herself. Alicia felt she had no choice but to contact Ruby’s mum, Sylvia, to ask her for help.  During the interview, Ruby sat next to her mother, slumped with her head on her hands. She would get up and pace while wringing her hands. Although she presented as well-groomed and neat, Ruby was wearing clothes that were big for her small stature. When her mother excused herself to go to the toilet, Ruby opened about her experience to the nurse. She stated that she did not want her mother to know. She told the nurse that she had been feeling unmotivated, loss interest in going to university (when all she wanted was to become a teacher) and has been having suicidal thoughts with no plan. She mentioned that her ‘heart has been beating 100 miles per hour and feels like something bad is about to happen. I don’t know why, and I will do anything to make it stop.’ She mentioned that she was commenced on 20mg of Paroxetine daily by a GP in Melbourne four weeks ago and asked if she should keep taking this medication. 

Task  

You are to create and submit a 400-word A4 poster via Turnitin with a reference list. 

• Using the scenario Ruby’s story, you will choose a topic to create a poster that will help Ruby and her carers/family and significant others to have a better understanding of Ruby’s mental ill-health or illness and help the consumer move closer to their recovery. 
• Students need to choose the case scenarios according to their degree. For instance, nursing students will need to choose the scenario highlighted for nurses.
• The poster must be submitted in a Word document. The first page must be your poster and the second page must be the text including the reference list from your poster. If you use other softwares to create your poster, instructions are provided to you in the vUWS site. If you have any technical difficulties, please contact the IT Service Desk on (02) 9852 5111or email itservicedesk@westernsydney.edu.au
• HINT: To help you, think of some topics that you would like to provide Ruby and her carers/family/significant others from the scenario (Ruby’s story), that would help promote positive mental health and recovery. Think of information that could help with early intervention to prevent mental ill-health or mental illness for Ruby. The poster should effectively communicate the key message in an engaging and succinct manner. 
• Use evidence-based information with a minimum of 5 relevant, current, peer-reviewed academic resources.  

Here are some ideas and topics that you may find helpful and would like to use: 

• What is anxiety? 
• Antidepressants - information for consumers' carers/family/significant others
• Mental Health Recovery 
• Mood disordersSuicidal thoughts  
• Young people and mental health 
• Importance/role of carer/family / significant other in mental health recovery. 

If there are other topics that you would like to explore and use for your poster that are not in the list, please contact the Subject Coordinator and the Deputy Subject Unit Coordinator for some guidance. 

What to include in my poster?

At a minimum students should include: 

1. Student name and student ID 
2. A title that clearly indicates your topic (you can make it catchy)
3. Significance of topic – You can start by explaining why your topic is important.  
4. Statement about the incidences of the mental health issue/s in Australia. 
5. Explain how your topic can facilitate recovery and promote wellbeing  
6. Future directions (consider what needs to be done to sustainably support recovery and wellbeing of mental health consumers). 

Tips 

• A poster is a visual representation of your chosen topic. 
• Use graphs, tables, diagrams, and images where appropriate. Use colour to attract attention and give your work some impact.  
• Ensure that all graphics and visual images are relevant to your topic. 
• Keep it simple, clear, and concise. Avoid jargon, acronyms, and use language that is recovery orientated and avoid jargon, acronyms and stigmatising language. 
• The poster needs to be eye-catching, attractive, and engaging but avoids overcrowding of information. 
• The poster needs to be an A4 page. 
• What software to use: You may use PowerPoint, Word, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva to name a few. 

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