Discussion on a health class question...

[positivethoughts]

My daughter has been studying for her final exams...in her religion class they are reviewing mental health illness...one of the question which the teacher had in her review package is ... someone with a mental illness will have it for the rest of thier life. True or False.

As we discussed this question, we came to the conclusion that the answer was False....today she came home saying that the teacher said that it was True. The teachers explaination is that once a person has a mental illness they will struggle with it all thier lives.

I am having trouble accepting this answer because there are so many different mental illnesses.

I am looking for peoples thought on this subject....does someone who is diagnose with a mental illness have it for the rest of thier life?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

You were correct. That depends on the specific illness, and even then some patients can go into remission from symptoms of the illness.

 

[Banned]

I agree with David. That is such a broad and generalized (and dumb) question. How does the teacher define mental illness? There are so many, and they can change over time, and go into remission like David says. Oh boy I'd be arguing that one for sure .

 

[forgetmenot]

wow that was such a general question to ask but i too feel you and your daughter were right Not everyone who suffers from a mental illness will have it for life Some will overcome depression and anxiety issues etc Her teacher has her own views perhaps narrow views of mental illness and by talking to her you can help her see her views need upgrading

 

[Cat Dancer]

That was a dumb question. Really dumb. And mental illness in religion class? Ick.

 

[positivethoughts]

Thank you for all your responses....I did not look at the question as an inappropiate question to ask; I just want to have people share their personal view on this question and the informaton that was being shared in class by the teacher.

My children go to a Catholic school. The way the education system is set up in this area requires that a student in a Catholic school take a class in religion each school year and students in public schools will take what is equivalent to a health/family class each school year instead of the religion class. Therefore, the Catholic school system needs to add certain subject matter (i.e.mental health, sex ed., ethics...) to the religion classes so that they can also fulfill the requirement by the provencial goverment.

 

[Banned]

Oh that's interesting. I went to Catholic school in Ontario and that component was filled in gym class, not religion. In religion, we studied, um, religion....obviously the curriculum has changed.

 

[Cat Dancer]

Well, that makes sense.

 

[Retired]

I did not look at the question as an inappropriate question to ask

But is it?

I've noticed in several places in recent years that religion and mental health are seen as related subjects. In my view, religious beliefs tend to focus on right and wrong, guilty and innocent, good and bad...in other words, ethical issues.

Does it make sense that questions on ethics should be an overlay to mental health questions?