Comm 374: Mental Health Communication

People who understand communication are in an important place to improve mental health, even in every-day life with people we know well. Interpersonal communication skills are important for creating and sustaining healthy personal and professional relationships and health outcomes and for advocating for oneself and others. There has been a growing interest in improving individuals’ support for overall mental well-being, mental health services, and mental health care access. Comm 374: Mental Health Communication examines how and why we talk about mental health on multiple levels (e.g., self-talk, interpersonal and family relationships, organizations, communities, policies) and how this communication relates to our attitudes and behaviors about mental health and is connected to what has been termed by the current U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy: “a current epidemic of loneliness in America”. We’ll read and discuss in small and large teams how communication contributes to stigma around certain mental health diagnoses in comparison with others, as well as how communication helps to promote mental well-being. Examining and applying communication theory will be a fundamental part of this course. You will also practice these interpersonal communication skills regularly within our course.