persuasive speeches on mental health

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Persuasive Speech Topics About Mental Health

Persuasive Speech Topics About Mental Health : Mental health is an important issue that affects us in one way or another. Currently, there are many factors that affect our mental health. If you are carrying out a study on mental health or you are looking for a speech topic, we have compiled Persuasive Speech Topics About Mental Health that can help you develop a good speech to provide more information about mental health .

1. How mental health can be improved through positive peer groups

2. Lack of mental health awareness is promoting poor mental issues for people living in low-income areas

3. Mental health treatment should be made less complex and more affordable.

4. Family history and its effects on mental health

5. Mental illness stigmatization as a barrier to mental health recovery

6. Financial constraints and how they lead to lower chances of someone seeking therapeutic treatment

Read: Research Topics on Mental Health

7. Why Socio-cultural influences are one of the barriers to mental health treatment in developing countries

8. Reasons why social media is one of the causes of anxiety disorder among the young people

9. Students should be taught how to develop good mental health habits

10. Bullying should be well addresses to lower anxiety among students

11. Increased mental health cases portray failure in social responsibility by governments

12. More government funding for healthy mental awareness can lower depression.

13. Drug addiction can lead to mental health issues

Read: Argumentative Essay Topics about Mental Health

14. Technology can be used to enhance mental health services

15. Importance for individuals and communities to prioritize self-care and build resilience to manage mental health issues

Mental Health Persuasive Speech Topics

1. Elementary schools should provide cognitive health services

2. Common mental illness among the elderly

3. Best way to develop good mental health

4. How to deal with mental health issues among students

5. Government should be involved in creating self-awareness of mental health

6. Brain injuries and how they affect mental health

7. The relation between mental health and economic well being

8. Compared to women, men have more psychological issues

9. Extreme high parental expectations can lead to anxiety in their children

10. Social media addiction can lead to mental instability

11. How psychiatric screening procedures can be used lower mental health issues

Read: Christian Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive Essay Topics About Mental Health

1. Divorce and how it can cause childhood depression

2. Lack of basic needs among the homeless and how it affects their psychological health

3. The relationship between metabolic disorder and psychiatrist disorder

4. How untreated trauma can cause cognitive problems

5. Stress management can prevent psychiatric conditions

6. Treatment of psychiatric disorders through dietary measures.

7. The link between child abuse and mental disorder

8. How Mental Health Affects Your Everyday Life.

Read: LGBT Persuasive Essay Topics

9. Mental Illness Essay Topics on Argumentative

10. Obesity affects mental health.

11. Role of genes in psychological health

12. Firefighters are prone to develop anxiety attacks

13. Why it is important to understand the subconscious mind and self-knowledge

14. Hormonal levels in women and how they affect their mental health

15. Sleep disorder is a factor that affects mental health

16. Negative sides effects of mental health medication and how they affect its treatment

Read: Persuasive Speech Topics about Music

Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Topics About Mental Health

As you develop your persuasive speech on mental health, remember that this kind of speech requires a clear presentation of logical facts to influence your audience’s point of view. To do this you need to select a topic that you are well conversant of and one that can allow you to carry out enough study. 

Betty is a qualified teacher with a Bachelor of Education (Arts). In addition, she is a registered Certified Public Accountant. She has been teaching and offering part-time accounting services for the last 10 years. She is passionate about education, accounting, writing, and traveling.

Persuasive Speeches: Mental Health

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Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community (World Health Organization, 2022).

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How should we talk about mental health?

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Mental health suffers from a major image problem. One in every four people experiences mental health issues — yet more than 40 percent of countries worldwide have no mental health policy. Across the board it seems like we have no idea how to talk about it respectfully and responsibly.

Stigma and discrimination are the two biggest obstacles to a productive public dialogue about mental health; indeed, the problem seems to be largely one of communication. So we asked seven mental health experts: How should we talk about mental health? How can informed and sensitive people do it right – and how can the media do it responsibly?

End the stigma

Easier said than done, of course. Says journalist  Andrew Solomon : “People still think that it’s shameful if they have a mental illness. They think it shows personal weakness. They think it shows a failing. If it’s their children who have mental illness, they think it reflects their failure as parents.” This self-inflicted stigma can make it difficult for people to speak about even their own mental health problems. According to neuroscientist  Sarah Caddick , this is because when someone points to his wrist to tell you it’s broken, you can easily understand the problem, but that’s not the case when the issue is with the three-pound mass hidden inside someone’s skull. “The minute you start talking about your mind, people get very anxious, because we associate that with being who we are, fundamentally with ‘us’ — us as a person, us as an individual, our thoughts, our fears, our hopes, our aspirations, our everything.” Says mental health care advocate  Vikram Patel , “Feeling miserable could in fact be seen as part of you or an extension of your social world, and applying a biomedical label is not always something that everyone with depression, for example, is comfortable with.” Banishing the stigma attached to mental health issues can go a long way to facilitating genuinely useful conversations.

Avoid correlations between criminality and mental illness

People are too quick to dole out judgments on people who experience mental health problems, grouping them together when isolated incidents of violence or crime occur. Says  Caddick , “You get a major incident like Columbine or Virginia Tech and then the media asks, ‘Why didn’t people know that he was bipolar?’ ‘Was he schizophrenic?’ From there, some people think, ‘Well, everybody with bipolar disease is likely to go out and shoot down a whole bunch of people in a school,’ or, ‘People who are schizophrenics shouldn’t be out on the street.’”  Solomon  agrees that this correlation works against a productive conversation about mental health: “The tendency to connect people’s crimes to mental illness diagnoses that are not in fact associated with criminality needs to go away. ‘This person murdered everyone because he was depressed.’ You think, yes, you could sort of indicate here this person was depressed and he murdered everyone, but most people who are depressed do not murder everyone.”

But do correlate more between mental illness and suicide

According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), 90 percent of people who die by suicide have depression or other mental disorders, or substance-abuse disorders in conjunction with other mental disorders. Yet we don’t give this link its due. Says  Solomon , “Just as the association between mental illness and crime is too strong, the connection between mental illness and suicide is too weak. So I feel like what I constantly read in the articles is that ‘so-and-so killed himself because his business had gone bankrupt and his wife had left him.’ And I think, okay, those were the triggering circumstances, but he killed himself because he suffered from a mental illness that drove him to kill himself. He was terribly depressed.”

Avoid words like “crazy” or “psycho”

Not surprisingly, nearly all the mental health experts we consulted were quick to decry playground slang like “mental,” “schizo,” “crazy,” “loonie,” or “nutter,” stigmatizing words that become embedded in people’s minds from a young age. NIMH Director  Thomas Insel  takes that one step further — he doesn’t like the category of “mental health problems” in general. He says, “Should we call cancer a ‘cell cycle problem’? Calling serious mental illness a ‘behavioral health problem’ is like calling cancer a ‘pain problem.’” Comedian  Ruby Wax , however, has a different point of view: “I call people that are mentally disturbed, you know, I say they’re crazy. I think in the right tone, that’s not the problem. Let’s not get caught in the minutiae of it.”

If you feel comfortable talking about your own experience with mental health, by all means, do so

Self-advocacy can be very powerful. It reaches people who are going through similar experiences as well as the general public.  Solomon  believes that people equipped to share their experiences should do so: “The most moving letter I ever received in a way was one that was only a sentence long, and it came from someone who didn’t sign his name. He just wrote me a postcard and said, ‘I was going to kill myself, but I read your book and changed my mind.’ And really, I thought, okay, if nobody else ever reads anything I’ve written, I’ve done some good in the world. It’s very important just to keep writing about these things, because I think there’s a trickle-down effect, and that the vocabulary that goes into serious books actually makes its way into the common experience — at least a little bit of it does — and makes it easier to talk about all of these things.”  Solomon ,  Wax , as well as  Temple Grandin , below, have all become public figures for mental health advocacy through sharing their own experiences.

Don’t define a person by his/her mental illnesses

Just as a tumor need not define a person, the same goes for mental illness. Although the line between mental health and the “rest” of a person is somewhat blurry, experts say the distinction is necessary. Says  Insel : “We need to talk about mental disorders the way we talk about other medical disorders. We generally don’t let having a medical illness define a person’s identity, yet we are very cautious about revealing mental illness because it will somehow define a person’s competence or even suggest dangerousness.”  Caddick  agrees: “There’s a lot of things that go on in the brain, and just because one thing goes wrong doesn’t mean that everything’s going wrong.”

Separate the person from the problem

Continuing from the last,  Insel  and  Patel  both recommend avoiding language that identifies people only by their mental health problems. Says  Insel , speak of “someone with schizophrenia,” not “the schizophrenic.” (Although, he points out, people with autism do often ask to be referred to as “autistic.”) Making this distinction clear, says  Patel , honors and respects the individual. “What you’re really saying is, this is something that’s not part of a person; it’s something the person is suffering from or is living with, and it’s a different thing from the person.”

Sometimes the problem isn’t that we’re using the wrong words, but that we’re not talking at all

Sometimes it just starts with speaking up. In  Solomon’s  words: “Wittgenstein said, ‘All I know is what I have words for.’ And I think that if you don’t have the words for it, you can’t explain to somebody else what your need is. To some degree, you can’t even explain to yourself what your need is. And so you can’t get better.” But, as suicide prevention advocate  Chris Le  knows well, there are challenges to talking about suicide and depression. Organizations aiming to raise awareness about depression and suicide have to wrangle with suicide contagion, or copycat suicides that can be sparked by media attention, especially in young people. Le, though, feels strongly that promoting dialogue ultimately helps. One simple solution, he says, is to keep it personal: “Reach out to your friends. If you’re down, talk to somebody, because remember that one time that your friend was down, and you talked to them, and they felt a little better? So reach out, support people, talk about your emotions and get comfortable with them.”

Recognize the amazing contributions of people with mental health differences

Says autism activist  Temple Grandin : “If it weren’t for a little bit of autism, we wouldn’t have any phones to talk on.” She describes the tech community as filled with autistic pioneers. “Einstein definitely was; he had no language until age three. How about Steve Jobs? I’ll only mention the dead ones by name. The live ones, you’ll have to look them up on the Internet.” Of depression, Grandin says: “The organizations involved with depression need to be emphasizing how many really creative people, people whose books we love, whose movies we love, their arts, have had a lot of problems with depression. See, a little bit of those genetics makes you sensitive, makes you emotional, makes you sensitive — and that makes you creative in a certain way.”

Humor helps

Humor, some say, is the best medicine for your brain. Says comedian  Wax : “If you surround [your message] with comedy, you have an entrée into their psyche. People love novelty, so for me it’s sort of foreplay: I’m softening them up, and then you can deliver as dark as you want. But if you whine, if you whine about being a woman or being black, good luck. Everybody smells it. But it’s true. People are liberated by laughing at themselves.”

Featured illustration via iStockphoto.

About the author

Thu-Huong Ha is a freelance writer. Previously she was the books and culture reporter for Quartz and the context editor at TED. Her writing has also appeared on Slate and in The New York Times Book Review. Her debut novel, Hail Caesar, was published in 2007 by PUSH, a YA imprint of Scholastic, and was named an NYPL Book for the Teen Age. Follow her at twitter.com/thu

• Andrew Solomon
• Editor's picks
• How should we talk about?
• mental health
• mental illness
• questions worth asking
• Sarah Caddick
• Temple Grandin
• Thomas Insel
• Vikram Patel

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Speeches > Carl L. Hanson > Something About Mental Health

Something About Mental Health

Carl l. hanson.

BYU Professor of Public Health

July 26, 2022

I kind of like listening to country music occasionally. Some members of my family believe there are only two types of music: country and western. The other day I was cruising home from work, and a country song by Keith Urban called “Say Something” came on. Basically, the song reminds us that our words have power and encourages us to say something.

That song helped motivate me—a public health guy—to say something about mental health. My interest in mental health as a public health issue began when I was young. I grew up in a law enforcement family, and my late father was a captain in the Oregon State Police Department. Throughout his career, he responded to countless situations related to mental health issues, including substance abuse disorders. Even when he was off duty it was difficult for him to get away from these situations. While it may not have been in best practice, I have childhood memories of being in the back seat of the family station wagon as it took off in hot pursuit of drivers under the influence. Experiences such as these later caused me to wonder about the root causes of mental health issues.

I tried my hand at law enforcement, but my attempt was short-lived. My six-foot-two, 150-pound frame didn’t quite match my father’s six-foot-four, 250-pound frame. I was pretty scrawny. So I chose to come to BYU after a mission, pursue my goals as a student athlete, and study psychology.

Now, getting a job with an undergraduate degree in psychology? That was a bit tougher. Since I still had athletic eligibility to compete another year after I had graduated, I consulted with beloved BYU mentor and track coach Sherald James, who was also teaching classes in the Department of Health Science at the time. As a consummate builder and lifter of people, he encouraged me to combine my interest in psychology with a master’s degree in health science while using my last year of athletic eligibility.

Well, the rest is history. I worked through the BYU master’s program, completed a mental-health related thesis, published my first academic paper on mind/body health, and went on for a PhD.

My purpose today is to encourage us all to “say something” and “know something” more about mental health so that we can all “be something” more and achieve optimal mental health.

Say Something

To say something about mental health, we need to first say something about mental illness. The terms mental illness and mental health are often used interchangeably. Mental illness, also known as mental disorder, refers to “any condition characterized by cognitive and emotional disturbances, abnormal behaviors, impaired functioning, or any combination of these.” 1 There aren’t medical tests for mental illnesses like there are for physical illnesses such as diabetes and cancer. Trained mental health professionals use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) to make a diagnosis. These tools identify various symptoms that, if experienced over time, indicate a mental disorder. Having open conversations about mental illness can help reduce the stigma or negative perceptions applied to individuals who struggle with mental illness.

Individuals with mental illness are not alone in their condition. Epidemiological data from public health statistics show that in the United States, one in five adults aged eighteen or older report having a mental illness, and more than 5 percent of adults in that age group report that it was serious enough to disrupt major life events. 2 Three-fourths of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by the age of twenty-four, 3 making the traditional college years a particularly vulnerable time—and the situation is getting worse. Symptoms of depression among college students in the U.S. increased 135 percent in the last nine years. 4 Major depression—one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S.—is highest among young adults aged eighteen to twenty-five. 5 Similarly, the number of U.S. college students with symptoms of anxiety increased by 110 percent. 6

Are BYU students immune from these disorders? National data on young adult major depression closely aligns with the burden of this illness among BYU students. According to research conducted on campus by my colleagues and me, one out of five students (20 percent) reported experiencing clinical depression, with nearly one out of three (32 percent) experiencing moderately severe or severe anxiety. 7

Individuals living with mental illness need treatment services. However, more than half of adults with mental illnesses in the U.S. receive no treatment. 8 There are likely two reasons for this: (1) a lack of access to mental healthcare due to lack of insurance, fewer provider options, and cost of care 9 and (2) a personal choice not to utilize available services because of the stigma related to obtaining treatment. 10 We still have much to do to increase access to care and to reduce the stigma so that seeking treatment for these disorders is as normal as seeking treatment for physical health conditions. We must also be careful not to contribute to the stigma, especially since we tend to unfairly link violence with mental illness. While it is estimated that one in every five police calls involves some type of mental health or substance abuse crisis, 11 most violent crime in this country is not committed by individuals with mental illness. 12

Although suicide itself is not a mental disorder, mental disorders are one of the most prevalent causes of suicide. A total of 60 percent of individuals who die by suicide have a mental illness such as major depression. 13 Recent statistics found that Utah averages 657 suicides a year and had the sixth-highest suicide rate in the U.S. in 2019. 14 Think about that for a minute. I recently flew on a regional passenger jet that held seventy-five people. The number of people who die from suicide each year in Utah is equivalent to nearly nine of those planes crashing every year in this state! That would make headlines. In Utah, suicide is the leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults. 15 Suicidal ideation in college students has increased 64 percent since 2013. 16

For those in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, help is immediately available through several incredible resources. As of July 16 of this year, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be accessed 24/7 in every U.S. state by dialing 988. Additionally, the state of Utah offers the SafeUT app, which provides real-time crisis intervention for students, parents, guardians, and educators through a live chat and confidential tip line. BYU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers some of the best psychological services in the country, with more than thirty-two full-time counselors who stand ready to assist students in crisis with no appointment needed. You can walk in during business hours or reach a trained professional after hours. We can all do our part to prevent suicide by becoming QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) trained. Offered on campus through CAPS, this hour-long best practice training helps you recognize the signs and symptoms of suicidal thoughts and understand how to help someone who is struggling.

Now, mental illness is not the same thing as mental health: “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.” 17 It is a state of well-being that allows for positive human development and for becoming our best selves. For Aristotle and the ancient Greeks, a state of well-being was referred to as “wisdom” and was rooted in the idea of eudaimonia—living life well and consistent with one’s values. 18 Modern psychologists discuss well-being—or optimal mental health—slightly differently, depending on their perspectives. For example, humanist psychologists such as Abraham H. Maslow refer to this state of well-being as “self-actualization.” 19 Positive psychologists such as researcher Corey L. M. Keyes refer to it as “flourishing.” 20 Flourishing is the notion that individuals achieve higher levels of well-being by focusing not only on eudaemonic components such as developing meaning, purpose, and strong relationships in life but also on hedonic components such as experiencing positive emotions. Flourishing is a state of optimal mental health, and “people who flourish not only feel good but also do good: they experience positive emotions regularly, excel in their daily lives, and contribute to the world around them in constructive ways.” 21

Interestingly, Dr. Keyes noticed that many individuals who were not flourishing lacked a mental illness diagnosis. 22 He called this state of poor mental well-being without a mental illness diagnosis “languishing” 23 and found that these individuals tended to lack a sense of purpose and struggled to enjoy life’s simple pleasures or to be positive about life. They tended to experience a general feeling of “blah.” These findings helped change our assumption that mental health was simply the opposite or absence of mental illness. It is not! Mental health is not simply the opposite of mental illness. Dr. Keyes helped us realize that mental health exists on its own continuum, and we can flourish and achieve optimal mental health or languish in poor mental health whether we have been diagnosed with a mental disorder or not. 24 I would like to emphasize that: we can achieve optimal mental health and flourish whether we have been diagnosed with a mental disorder or not. This should be empowering to all of us.

The idea of languishing may sound a bit familiar and could explain many people’s personal experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic we were exposed to endless sources of information and misinformation, which often heightened our anxieties. The World Health Organization (WHO) referred to this phenomenon as an “infodemic.” 25 In addition, our regular routines were impacted as we were socially distanced, isolated from each other, quarantined, and forced into online learning. Many of us also lost jobs or mourned for those who had died from the virus. Over time, the cumulative effects of the pandemic may have left you feeling emotionally fatigued or just blah! But why should we worry about languishing? Because individuals who languish are significantly more likely to develop a mental illness. 26

Know Something

Saying something isn’t always enough. Knowing something more about the root causes of mental health challenges is critical to developing solutions and achieving optimal mental health.

One thing to know at the outset is that mental illnesses are not the result of sin. During the Savior’s ministry, His disciples wondered about the affliction of a particular blind man. They asked:

Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 27

It is a mistake to equate mental illness with sin.

Indeed, the root causes of mental health challenges, whether mental illness or languishing, are complex. In a 2015 study, Andrea K. Wittenborn and her colleagues reviewed the literature on the root causes of major depression and used a systems-thinking perspective to illustrate the complex interaction between the biological, environmental, behavioral, and social factors that contribute to the illness. Their causal loop diagram shows almost fifty different steps that loop around to different pathways and lead to different behaviors and effects. Their detailed diagram speaks to the complexity of mental health challenges. 28

To make sense of the complexity, root causes for mental health challenges are often organized into risk and protective factor frameworks that practitioners then use to address the challenges. Risk factors increase the likelihood of an individual experiencing the problem. Protective factors mitigate risk and are often simply the opposite of the risk factor. For example, if having very few friends is a risk factor, then having good peer relationships is a protective one. Risk and protective factors are distinct across ecological levels. This is because our thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the environments in which we associate. Ecological levels in which individuals are nested include peer groups, families, communities, and institutions such as school and work.

Some of the more common risk and protective factor frameworks have been developed by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 30 and the American Mental Wellness Association. 31 Using work my colleagues and I have done here at BYU, I would like to highlight a few of these risk factors, including perfectionism, life stressors, poor coping skills, adverse childhood experiences, and bullying.

One particularly concerning risk factor for college students, especially students here, is having a perfectionistic attitude. Perfectionism is refusing to accept any standard less than flawless. Using the multidimensional perfectionism scale, 32 we asked BYU students how they felt about several statements, including “If someone does a task at school better than me, then I feel like I failed at the whole task”; “The fewer mistakes I make, the more people will like me”; and “Other people seem to accept lower standards from themselves than I do.” The highest possible score for perfectionism using this scale is 40, and our findings revealed that the average score for BYU students was 27! Furthermore, we found a significant correlation between perfectionism scores and mental health outcomes. For example, a perfectionism score of 30 was associated with symptoms of clinical depression and clinical anxiety among students, and we found that depression and anxiety increase as perfectionism scores increase. 33

An additional risk factor associated with mental health challenges is our exposure to stressors at each ecological level and our ability to deal with those stressors. “Stress,” as defined many years ago by Hans Selye, “is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it.” 34 Stressors are those demands that trigger an automatic physiological fight or flight response, which feels like someone just stepped on your internal gas pedal. Because our bodies strive for balance or homeostasis, a part of our nervous system acts as the brake pedal to bring our body systems back to normal when the threat subsides. However, what happens when exposure to stressors continues over time—or, maybe even worse, when we anticipate and worry about stressors even when there is no immediate danger? Robert M. Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, noted that “when we consider ourselves and our human propensity to worry ourselves sick, we have to expand on the notion of stressors merely being things that knock you out of homeostatic balance.” 35

The stressors we face are significantly different than those that zebras face. Not only do our stressors lead us to develop ulcers, but they are also the root cause of many other physical and mental disorders. A growing body of research is recognizing the power that chronic stressors have to disrupt the immune system, causing inflammation throughout the body that can lead to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and depression. 36 Chronic stressors include poverty, neighborhood violence, or environmental changes as well as everyday hassles. Stressors can also involve early life stressors such as adverse childhood experiences or trauma. While a certain level of stress can be beneficial, enhancing immune function 37 and improving performance, 38 the accumulation of chronic stressors and traumatic life events lead to what researchers refer to as allostatic load, 39 or wear and tear on the body and the mind.

My colleagues and I asked BYU students what stressful life events they have been exposed to during the past year. The options ranged from daily hassles such as getting a speeding ticket to more serious stressors such as the death of a parent or a close friend. In our analysis, more serious stressors were weighted higher than daily hassles. For BYU students, the most common stressors were an increase in workload at school, a change in social relationships, and a change in eating habits. Interestingly, BYU students with the highest number of stressful events were freshmen, married students, and students in committed relationships. These groups of students may need extra support in managing stressors. In our findings with perfectionism, there exists a correlation between a high number of stressful life events students were exposed to and elevated symptoms of clinical depression and anxiety. 40

We have also studied the impact of early life experiences on mental health outcomes among college students. Our results showed that the more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) college students have been exposed to, the more likely students are to have difficulties coping with stress, to be languishing, and to experience depression and anxiety symptoms. 41 ACEs include abuse, neglect, and household challenges such as substance abuse, mental illness, suicidal thoughts and behavior, divorce, incarceration, and domestic violence. Being exposed to these stressors as children impacts our mental health and physical health later in life. As a result, we should do all in our power to prevent children’s exposure to trauma. In a general conference address, Elder Patrick Kearon stated that “there is no place for any kind of abuse—physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal—in any home, any country, or any culture.” 42

If you are now worrying about the ACEs in your life, there is more to this story. In our study we also found that students exposed to positive childhood experiences (PCEs) were protected against depression and anxiety symptoms later in life, even when they had also been exposed to ACEs. We found that PCEs lead to an increased ability to cope with stressors, increased flourishing, and ultimately better mental health. Positive childhood experiences include having one good childhood friend, having good neighbors, enjoying school, having regular family meals, and having beliefs that give comfort. Our study demonstrates that while ACEs can weaken college students’ ability to cope, PCEs can increase resilience, promote flourishing, and ultimately reduce symptoms of mental illness. 43

Through the multidisciplinary Computational Health Science Research Lab at BYU, my colleagues and I recently explored the impact of hundreds of possible risk factors on adolescent mental health. Using a machine learning approach to analyze the risk-factor data of some 179,000 high school students in Utah across all ecological levels, we were able to predict with 91 percent accuracy suicidal thought and behavior among this adolescent population. 44 Our findings revealed that the most highly associated risk factors with suicidal thought and behavior were

(1) being threatened or harassed through social media,

(2) being bullied on school grounds,

(3) being in a family that has serious arguments,

(4) being in a family that argues regularly, and

(5) being in a family that frequently insults and yells. 45

Additional interesting findings include the fact that suicidal thought and behavior increased with age (sixth grade through twelfth grade), was more common among females, and was 73 percent more likely if there was not a father in the home. 46 The major findings of this study speak not only to the incredible negative impact that our relationships can have on our mental health but also to the potential positive and protective impact our relationships can have on our mental health.

Our findings from these studies and others are contributing to a growing body of literature on the many risk and protective factors related to mental health. Much of this work points to the powerful influence of our experiences and our interactions with others in settings such as home, school, and communities.

Be Something

Saying something and knowing something about mental health isn’t always enough. To achieve optimal mental health—to be our best selves and to flourish—we must “be something” as well. Because many of the risk and protective factors associated with mental health are addressed by living a wellness lifestyle in an environmental context that supports wellness, I invite us all to be something more by being “wellness wise,” 47 personally and institutionally.

Being wellness wise is an idea hatched here at BYU. It means we recognize that wellness is a personal opportunity and an institutional responsibility. It also means we recognize that wellness is embedded in the very fabric of the mission of this institution. From our mission statement, you might recall that BYU exists “to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life” with the expectation that “all instruction, programs, and services at BYU, including a wide variety of extracurricular experiences, should make their own contribution toward the balanced development of the total person” in order that “such a broadly prepared individual will not only be capable of meeting personal challenge and change but will also bring strength to others in the tasks of home and family life, social relationships, civic duty, and service to mankind.” 48 If we look at it closely, we see that our mission statement makes wellness—and thus optimal mental health—everyone’s business!

Whole-Person Opportunity

Dr. Barbara D. Lockhart and Dr. Ronald L. Hager from the BYU Department of Exercise Science have defined wellness as “a dynamic state of our being characterized by the balance and integration of our whole physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social self.” 49 There are many other definitions of wellness, but Dr. Lockhart and Dr. Hager essentially speak to a personal, active pursuit of a balanced lifestyle. This is what makes wellness a personal or whole-person opportunity. The ideas of active pursuit and balance are referenced in two parts of the BYU mission: the “quest for perfection and eternal life” and “the balanced development of the total person.”

Focus on the Quest

When we consider the “quest for perfection and eternal life,” I know that sometimes the word perfection can freak us out a bit. We learned today that many students on campus are focused too much on perfection, which is associated with greater mental health challenges. Being wellness wise means that rather than focusing on achieving perfection in the here and now, we will focus on the quest for perfection and eternal life. The quest, the pursuit, or the journey toward perfection is about striving and growing to be our best possible selves. It is about knowing that during this quest, we are going to experience challenges, setbacks, and possibly even failure on occasion—no matter how righteous we think we are or how perfectly we live the gospel. President Kevin J Worthen has said:

Failing is an essential part of the mortal phase of our quest for perfection. We don’t often think of it that way, but that is only because we tend to focus too much on the word perfection and not enough on the word quest when we read the mission statement. Failure is an inevitable part of the quest. In our quest for perfection, how we respond when we fail will ultimately determine how well we will succeed. 50

Being a runner, I love the recent success story of freshman Sebastian Fernandez, who came to BYU last fall after having some success as a middle-distance runner in high school. He tried out for the BYU track team in hopes of being a walk-on but ultimately didn’t make the team. Sebastian didn’t let this failure derail his goals. He continued to train with the so-called farm team, a group of other BYU track and field student athletes who weren’t ready for the competition team.

Sebastian commented, “Having that experience of failure helped me realize that nothing is going to be given to me. I have to work hard to earn everything.” 51

By focusing on the quest and having a never-give-up attitude in the face of failure, Sebastian not only made the team this past spring but also broke the all-time facility record at the Robison Track and Field Complex by running the 800-meter race in one minute and forty-seven seconds. That mark ranked fifth on the all-time list here at BYU, propelling Sebastian into the regional meet, in which he qualified for nationals.

Did I mention that he was a freshman who didn’t make the team last fall as a walk-on? Sebastian is a great example of one who stayed focused on the quest.

Focus on Balance and Growth

Consider the phrase “the balanced development of the total person” in BYU’s mission statement. This refers to the even distribution of our efforts to grow in each of the areas that make up the total person. Several years ago, I lost one of the balancing weights on the wheel of my vehicle on my way into work. It made for a very bumpy ride that day. Similarly, if we neglect or exaggerate any of the important domain areas that make us whole and well, we will be out of balance, and our ride through life will be bumpier.

Some of the areas that make up the total person should be familiar to you, as they are the foundation of the Children and Youth program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and are based on the scriptural statement “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” 52 Surely these important areas of intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social growth should be pursued throughout our lives, not just during our youth. Being wellness wise as individuals means we continue striving for balanced growth and development in these important areas throughout our lives. Because they are very important to college student wellness, emotional and financial wellness are also considered part of being wellness wise at BYU. These six wellness-wise domain areas are not mutually exclusive; they overlap as important parts of the whole person. But viewing and discussing them separately provides a way for each of us to evaluate how balanced we are and where we might need to improve. Let’s consider each of these six important domain areas and what BYU Wellness Wise professionals recommend:

1. Spiritual . Spiritual wellness means we believe in Heavenly Father, connect with Him, and live our lives in a way that bring us closer to Him. W. Justin Dyer, a BYU associate professor of Church history and doctrine and wellness-wise pro, reminds us that the Lord has said, “Be still, and know that I am God” and “The Lord of hosts is with us.” 53

First, Dr. Dyer recommends that you believe God loves you and can lift you higher. Dr. Dyer also encourages you to remember that God loves you through your struggles and will help you take steps forward.

Second, find moments and methods to feel God’s love. Our busy schedules tend to push us away from quiet moments, but Dr. Dyer notes that quiet moments are essential for us to feel connected with God. If you are struggling to feel the connection, try something new, such as searching the scriptures and words of the prophets for ways that allow you to better feel God’s love.

Third, dive into your religious community in order to show your love for God and for your neighbor as well as to receive and give much-needed support. If you are struggling to connect in your ward, Dr. Dyer pleads that you do not give up. Seek ways to uplift others in your ward; your unique gifts are needed.

2. Social . Social wellness means we establish positive relationships with others. Having a strong social support system is important for emotional wellness because it can help us cope with and bounce back from challenges. Angela Blomquist, director of the Student Connection and Leadership Center and wellness-wise pro, notes that we are all social by nature.

First, she recommends that you create lasting connections by participating in events, activities, and programs in the campus community. She notes that volunteering is also a great way to gain a higher sense of purpose, build social skills, and increase self-esteem.

Second, foster belonging by embracing diversity, ensuring equity, and practicing inclusion. Angela promises that as you do so, hearts and minds will be enriched.

Third, cultivate communication skills to become a better friend, student, employee, and leader. This may require limiting digital communication and prioritizing face-to-face conversation in which effective communication and active listening can be practiced.

3. Physical . Physical wellness means we balance sleep, physical activity, and nutrition and also practice safe behaviors. Nathan M. Ormsby, director of BYU Student Wellness and wellness-wise pro, loves this President Ezra Taft Benson quote: “With good health, all other activities of life are greatly enhanced.” 54

First, Nathan recommends that you exercise routinely. The benefits of exercise are indisputable, and he says the key to sticking to an exercise routine is simply finding an activity you like to do.

Second, prioritize sleep. Your body craves a regular routine when it comes to sleep. Striving for eight hours of sleep a night is a good goal—but staying up until 3 a.m. and sleeping until noon will leave the body unprepared for bed by 10 p.m. the next night. Routine sleep is necessary for mental function and mental health.

Third, eat well. The body likes regularly eating healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and whole grains. Healthy foods support brain function, body function, and mental health.

4. Intellectual . Intellectual wellness means we expand our knowledge, skills, and creative abilities. Chip Oscarson, associate dean of undergraduate education and wellness-wise pro, believes that the more we learn, the more we see the connections between the sacred and the secular. Dr. Oscarson has several tips for intellectual wellness.

First, be curious. Do not limit your education by memorizing facts and solely focusing on a profession or material gain. Curiosity is the active part of our learning that demands our agency.

Second, be a good listener and humbly withhold judgment. Truth may be more expansive than what we currently imagine.

Third, ask good questions. Good questions can help you understand truth in more than one dimension.

Fourth, Dr. Oscarson recommends that you discern with the Spirit. The Spirit is given to help us stay balanced and understand how all truth fits together.

5. Financial . Financial wellness means we properly manage our monetary assets. Failure to manage these assets can be a large source of stress. Paul R. Conrad, manager of the BYU Financial Fitness Center and wellness-wise pro, has warned that sustained financial distress may cause us to feel anxious, helpless, and vulnerable. Learning to wisely manage financial resources creates feelings of confidence and peace. Paul has several tips for financial wellness.

First, consider your blessings. You can make yourself miserable when you compare your life with the lives of others. Considering your blessings can help you avoid the feelings of envy, jealousy, and bitterness that lead to discouragement and hopelessness.

Second, find a budgeting method that works for you. Using time while at the university to test, adopt, and refine a budgeting method will help you be more intentional and confident in your spending.

Third, find ways to meet your needs less expensively by aligning your spending with your values and goals. Doing so will help you gain a greater sense of purpose and control.

Fourth, plan for the unexpected. Even small, unexpected problems can be disruptive and stressful. Planning can help you prevent stress and avoid expensive credit-card charges.

6. Emotional . Emotional wellness means we can cope with both positive and negative emotions while learning and growing from emotional experiences. Klint Hobbs, counselor for CAPS and wellness-wise pro, reminds us that “emotions are interwoven with every aspect of wellness, and managing our emotions effectively enables us to be healthy, kind, and compassionate.”

First, be compassionate with yourself, see yourself as a work in progress, and resist the urge to feel threatened when you don’t do as well as you wanted to in school or in other activities. Dr. Hobbs recommends giving yourself the same grace you would give to a good friend who might be struggling.

Second, avoid putting off difficult tasks or things that make you anxious. For example, you may have a tendency to avoid responsibilities by binge-watching episodes of your favorite TV series. This avoidant behavior may bring temporary relief, but leaning into whatever is making you anxious can cause anxiety to go away.

Third, connect with others. This social well-being skill can reduce mental health challenges and improve self-esteem. Sacrificing social time, even for academics, puts mental health at risk.

Fourth, seek balance and avoid going to extremes, even in positive activities. Dr. Hobbs points out that salad is good for you, but if you only ever ate salad, your body would be missing out on vital nutrients from other foods. Similarly, if all you ever do is study with no breaks for other activities you enjoy, you are headed for burnout.

Truthfully, it may be difficult to balance these domains every single day. There will be times when we need to focus on one domain at the exclusion of another—such as during finals week, when we are highly focused on the intellectual domain; during the Sabbath, when we have more church obligations; or during a challenging time in the family, when we are focused on the social and emotional areas. Our goal should be to seek balance over the long haul.

Being wellness wise means we focus on the quest for perfection rather than on perfection itself. It also means we focus on balance and growth in each of the wellness-wise domain areas. As we become wellness wise by embracing wellness as a whole-person opportunity, we “will not only be capable of meeting personal challenge and change but will also bring strength to others in the tasks of home and family life, social relationships, civic duty, and service to mankind.” The phrase “meeting personal challenge and change” speaks to our ability to be resilient when facing the difficulties that will surely come our way in life, and the phrase “bring strength to others” speaks to our becoming self-actualized, becoming our best self, achieving optimal mental health, and even flourishing.

Whole-Campus Responsibility

Finally, being wellness wise means we not only recognize wellness as a whole-person opportunity but also as a whole-campus responsibility. Because we “know something” about the powerful influence that our experiences and environment can have on us individually, we recognize the need for BYU as an institution to focus on a system-wide approach that will influence the conditions in which all may flourish and achieve optimal mental health. Consider the part of the BYU mission that states, “All instruction, programs, and services at BYU, including a wide variety of extracurricular experiences, should make their own contribution toward the balanced development of the total person.” This means that no BYU faculty member, staff member, administrator, or student is excluded from the responsibility of assisting individuals in their balanced development.

Taking this responsibility seriously, a group of BYU staff, administrators, faculty, and students have joined together under the leadership of former CAPS director Steve Smith and Student Life vice president Julie Franklin. Known as the BYU Wellness Wise Coalition, this group exists to break down campus silos and cultivate campus-wide collaborations and initiatives that advance wellness for all campus community members. The word silo is commonly used on farms to describe large storage containers for grain or cattle food. In public health and healthcare, the term silo is often used as a metaphor for teams of people that just don’t work together. The BYU Wellness Wise Coalition exists to ensure that we are a whole campus and that we collaborate to advance wellness for all.

We have such wonderful opportunities and responsibilities before us. It is time for us to “say something” and “know something” more about mental health so that we can “be something” more and achieve optimal mental health. Saying something more can help reduce the mental health stigma and promote the idea that optimal mental health and flourishing is accessible to everyone. Knowing something more can help us understand the risk and protective factors for mental health challenges that can be addressed both personally and institutionally. Being something more by being wellness wise both personally and institutionally provides a framework for taking the actions that will move us all toward optimal mental health. Saying something, knowing something, and being something more—that is “something about mental health.” Thank you.

© Brigham Young University. All rights reserved. 

1. APA Dictionary of Psychology, American Psychological Association, s.v. “mental disorder,” dictionary.apa.org/mental-disorder.

2. See Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Rockville, Maryland: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2021), 32.

3. See Ronald C. Kessler, Patricia Berglund, Olga Demler, Robert Jin, Kathleen R. Merikangas, and Ellen E. Walters, “Lifetime Prevalence and Age-of-Onset Distributions of DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication,” Archives of General Psychiatry 62, no. 6 (June 2005): 593.

4. See Sarah Ketchen Lipson, Sasha Zhou, Sara Abelson, Justin Heinze, Matthew Jirsa, Jasmine Morigney, Akilah Patterson, Meghna Singh, and Daniel Eisenberg, “Trends in College Student Mental Health and Help-Seeking by Race/Ethnicity: Findings from the National Healthy Minds Study, 2013–2021,” Journal of Affective Disorders 306 (1 June 2022): 143.

5. See Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators,  31.

6. See Lipson et al., “Trends in College Student Mental Health,” 143.

7. See Carl L. Hanson, Brianna M. Magnusson, Alice Ann Crandall, and Michael D. Barnes, “The Mental Health of BYU Students: A University Report,” BYU Department of Public Health, 2020, 4.

8. See Maddy Reinert, Danielle Fritze, and Theresa Nguyen, The State of Mental Health in America 2023 (Alexandria, Virginia: Mental Health America [MHA], 2022), 8, 21.

9. See Reinert, Fritze, and Nguyen, State of Mental Health in America 2023, 8, 22, 27, 29.

10. See Nathaniel Beers and Shashank V. Joshi, “Increasing Access to Mental Health Services Through Reduction of Stigma,” Commentaries, Pediatrics 145, no. 6 (June 2020), publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/145/6/e20200127/76911 .

11. See Ashley Abramson, “Building Mental Health into Emergency Responses,” News, Monitor on Psychology 52, no. 5 (July/August 2021): 30, apa.org/monitor/2021/07/emergency-responses ; see also Eric Westervelt, “Mental Health and Police Violence: How Crisis Intervention Teams Are Failing,” National Public Radio (NPR), 18 September 2020, npr.org/2020/09/18/913229469/mental-health-and-police-violence-how-crisis -intervention-teams-are-failing ; see also audio and transcript from All Things Considered, NPR, 18 September 2020, npr.org/transcripts/913229469 .

12. See Jeffrey W. Swanson, “Introduction: Violence and Mental Illness,” Harvard Review of Psychiatry 29, no. 1 (January/February 2021): 1; see also Mass Violence in America: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions, ed. Joe Parks, Donald Bechtold, Frank Shelp, Jeffery Lieberman, and Sara Coffey (Washington, DC: National Council for Mental Wellbeing [NCMW] and Medical Director Institute [MDI], August 2019), v–vi, 12–14.

13. See “Does Depression Increase the Risk for Suicide?” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Mental Health and Substance Abuse, hhs.gov/answers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse/does-depression-increase-risk-of-suicide/index.html.

14. See “Complete Health Indicator Report of Suicide,” Utah Department of Health, Indicator-Based Information System (IBIS) for Public Health, 2021, ibis.health.utah.gov/ibisph-view/indicator/complete_profile/SuicDth.html .

15. See “Complete Health Indicator Report of Suicide.”

16. See Lipson et al., “Trends in College Student Mental Health,” 141.

17. “Mental Health,” World Health Organization (WHO), fact sheet, 17 June 2022, who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response .

18. See Daniel N. Robinson, “Wisdom Through the Ages,” in Wisdom: Its Nature, Origins, and Development, ed. Robert J. Sternberg (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990), 16–17.

19. See Abraham H. Maslow, “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Psychological Review 50, no. 4 (July 1943): 382–83.

20. See Corey L. M. Keyes, “The Mental Health Continuum: From Languishing to Flourishing in Life,” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 43, no. 2 (June 2002): 207–22.

21. Lahnna I. Catalino and Barbara L. Fredrickson, “A Tuesday in the Life of a Flourisher: The Role of Positive Emotional Reactivity in Optimal Mental Health,” Emotion 11, no. 4 (August 2011): 938; citing Corey L. M. Keyes, “Promoting and Protecting Mental Health as Flourishing: A Complementary Strategy for Improving National Mental Health,” American Psychologist 62, no. 2 (February–March 2007): 95–108.

22. See Corey L. M. Keyes, “Mental Illness and/or Mental Health? Investigating Axioms of the Complete State Model of Health,” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 73, no. 3 (June 2005): 539–48.

23. See Keyes, “The Mental Health Continuum” (2002); Keyes, “Mental Illness and/or Mental Health?” (2005); “Promoting and Protecting Mental Health as Flourishing” (2007).

24. See Keyes, “The Mental Health Continuum” (2002); Keyes, “Mental Illness and/or Mental Health?” (2005).

25. See “Infodemic,” World Health Organization (WHO), Health Topics, who.int/health-topics/infodemic.

26. See Corey L. M. Keyes, Satvinder S. Dhingra, and Eduardo J. Simoes, “Change in Level of Positive Mental Health as a Predictor of Future Risk of Mental Illness,” Mental Health Promotion and Protection, American Journal of Public Health 100, no. 12 (December 2010): 2369.

27. John 9:2–3 .

28. See figure 4 (causal loop diagram of cognitive, social, environmental, and biological dimensions) in Andrea K. Wittenborn, Hazhir Rahmandad, Jennifer L. Rick, and Niyousha Hosseinichimeh, “Depression as a Systemic Syndrome: Mapping the Feedback Loops of Major Depressive Disorder,” Psychological Medicine 46, no. 3 (February 2016): 557.

29. See “Risk and Protective Factors,” Suicide Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cdc.gov/suicide/factors/index.html .

30. See “Risk and Protective Factors,” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019, samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/20190718-samhsa-risk-protective-factors.pdf .

31. See “Risk and Protective Factors,” American Mental Wellness Association, americanmentalwellness.org/prevention/risk-and-protective-factors .

32. See Alexandra M. Burgess, Randy O. Frost, and Patricia Marten DiBartolo, “Development and Validation of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale—Brief,” in “Advances in the Assessment of Perfectionism,” ed. Gordon L. Flett and Paul L. Hewitt, special issue, Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 34, no. 7 (October 2016): 620–33.

33. See Hanson et al., “The Mental Health of BYU Students,” 11; see also Carl L. Hanson, Brianna M. Magnusson, Alice Ann Crandall, Michael D. Barnes, Emily McFarland, and McKaylee Smith, “Life Experience Pathways to College Student Emotional and Mental Health: A Structural Equation Model,” Journal of American College Health (April 2022), doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2058328.

34. Hans Selye, “The Evolution of the Stress Concept: The Originator of the Concept Traces Its Development from the Discovery in 1936 of the Alarm Reaction to Modern Therapeutic Applications of Syntoxic and Catatoxic Hormones,” American Scientist 61, no. 6 (November–December 1973): 692.

35. Robert M. Sapolsky, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, 3rd ed. (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2004), 6.

36. See Yun-Zi Liu, Yun-Xia Wang, and Chun-Lei Jiang, “Inflammation: The Common Pathway of Stress-Related Diseases,” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 11 (June 2017), doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00316.

37. See Liu, Wang, and Jiang, “Inflammation.”

38. See Charlotte Nickerson, “The Yerkes-Dodson Law and Performance,” Social Psychology, Simply Psychology (15 November 2021), simplypsychology.org/what-is-the-yerkes-dodson-law.html .

39. See Bruce S. McEwen and Eliot Stellar, “Stress and the Individual: Mechanisms Leading to Disease,” Archives of Internal Medicine 153, no. 18 (27 September 1993): 2093–2101.

40. See Hanson et al., “The Mental Health of BYU Students,” 18.

41. See Hanson et al., “Life Experience Pathways”; see also Hanson et al., “The Mental Health of BYU Students,” 12–14.

42. Patrick Kearon, “He Is Risen with Healing in His Wings: We Can Be More Than Conquerors,” Liahona, May 2022.

43. See Hanson et al., “Life Experience Pathways”; see also Hanson et al., “The Mental Health of BYU Students,” 15–16.

44. See Orion Weller, Luke Sagers, Carl Hanson, Michael Barnes, Quinn Snell, and E. Shannon Tass, “Predicting Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior Among Adolescents Using the Risk and Protective Factor Framework: A Large-Scale Machine Learning Approach,” PLOS ONE 16, no. 11 (3 November 2021): 1, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258535.

45. See Weller et al., “Predicting Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior,” 6.

46. See Weller et al., “Predicting Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior,” 6.

47. For more information on this university-wide wellness education program, see Wellness Wise , Brigham Young University, wellnesswise.byu.edu .

48. The Mission of Brigham Young University (4 November   1981).

49. Barbara Lockhart and Ron Hager, 21st Century Wellness: The Science of the Whole Individual, 2nd ed. (Bearface Instructional Technologies, 2018), 19; emphasis added.

50. Kevin J Worthen, “Successfully Failing: Pursuing Our Quest for Perfection,” BYU devotional address, 6 January 2015; emphasis in original.

51. Sebastian Fernandez, quoted in Sean Walker, “Walk-On to Running for a Title: BYU’s Fernandez Among 21 Bids at NCAA Championships,” ksl.com , 7 June 2022, ksl.com/article/50419089 .

52. Luke 2:52 .

53. Psalm 46:10 ,  11 .

54. Ezra Taft Benson, address delivered at President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second annual Council on Youth Fitness at Fort Ritchie, Cascade, Maryland, 8 September 1958; quoted in Clarence F. Robison, “Keeping Physically Fit,” Ensign, September 1972.

See the complete list of abbreviations here

Carl L. Hanson, a professor in the BYU Department of Public Health, delivered this forum address on July 26, 2022.

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Students Speak Out: ‘We Need Mental Health Days’

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Even before the pandemic set in, alarming numbers of young people were suffering from mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. The stress of COVID-19 has exacerbated those struggles. Schools are working on ways to support students’ emotional trauma, including allowing excused absences for mental health days. Education Week asked five students how they felt during the pandemic, and what role mental health days might play in helping students nationwide.

Sara Falluji, rising junior, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Lexington, Ky .

With COVID, this year has been stressful and difficult. I noticed it in my friends. A lot of that stress for me has manifested in physical ways. It’s sort of a fatigue, and an inability to focus on school assignments.

I didn’t go [to school] in person. I was doing virtual. I wouldn’t really skip a class, but I took naps immediately after my last class. I didn’t even intend to, it was just happening. I’d struggle with getting work in on time because I couldn’t get the energy to finish. Typically, I get straight As, but this year I had a C and quite a few Bs.

We really need excused mental health days. There have been plenty of times I’ve needed one or a friend needed one, but stress is our normal and you just push through. I’ve never seen an avenue for taking a day like that, and didn’t want people to [see] me differently for it. In a competitive program like the one I’m in, anxiety is so normal, it’s like why would you take a day off when we’re all going through it?

Karla Pickett, rising sophomore, Fairfield Central High School, Winnsboro, S.C .

We don’t have excused mental health days. I most definitely would use them. Sometimes school can become overwhelming and you need a day to process it all.

I did virtual the whole year. I was able to maintain my grades. But it became overwhelming not being in a room with a teacher, not being there to get help you when you need it, to talk through the issues. It was really stressful. I was taking four dual-enrollment courses and it was very difficult.

My sister went to college, and we are the only two siblings, so not having her in the house to talk to was a difficult transition. I didn’t get to see any of my friends during the pandemic at all. I had a lot of anxiety. The pandemic was the main reason why. I didn’t want to get others sick. I was worried about my grandmothers, aunts, and uncles getting sick. And I wasn’t able to see them.

I really could have used mental health days. I was absolutely stressed out. I would have spent a day meditating, figuring out what I need to do to get back to me.

Ben Ballman, 2021 graduate, Winston Churchill High School, Potomac, Md .

I’ve been working on [student] mental health issues since the 8th grade. I had these friends, they’re not feeling so great, they don’t really see a point in living. Pretty extreme things for 13-year-olds. And I’m concerned; these are my favorite people in the world and I have no idea what to do.

I tried to learn more about it. I started reading articles and books. I started to be able to point [friends] in the right direction, where they could go for support, the resources they have. Over time, it snowballed. In high school, I’m doing it more and more, and I’m thinking, I’m not a professional! What the heck is going on here? Kids are coming to another kid. They should go to the counseling department. Sophomore year, I created a Google form, asking questions, like whether students feel supported by counselors. I sent it out across Montgomery County and got almost 500 responses from a lot of schools. It was a resounding negative response.

Kids don’t feel supported by counselors. They don’t feel welcome. They see a counselor, they rush through a checklist and get them out the door as fast as possible. I was really surprised by that. So I made a little team to help me reach out to students with more questions. And we interviewed counselors and administrators to get that perspective. That led to an open letter I sent to the board of education the summer after sophomore year, describing the issues and possible solutions. I met with the heads of counseling and psychology in the county, and it was good, but I never really heard anything.

I decided to get more students involved. We created a coalition called DMV Students for Mental Health Reform . The main point is to work with local delegates on legislation. In February, Delegate [Alonzo] Washington introduced HB461 , which introduced mental health days for the first time in Maryland as a statewide measure. It passed the House, but stagnated in the Senate. We were working on some amendments.

There are three main arguments for mental health days. They allow students a way to support themselves outside school. School can be extremely stressful. You need to take a break, take a breather, focus on yourself for a bit. They also decrease stigma and allow more open conversation about mental health. They would also help schools practice mental health prevention. A lot of times, schools have resources, like programs, and counselors, but many times they don’t have the ability to see which students are struggling before it’s too late and it reaches a crisis situation.

Kylee Linnell, 2021 graduate, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Ore.

I have a complicated history with mental health. I have [obsessive compulsive disorder], which is a whirlwind in itself; childhood trauma, anxiety stemming from OCD. I’ve struggled on and off with depression. I have good days and bad days.

I love the idea of mental health days. Our school is supposed to do them, but they’re still working out the kinks. Your parent has to call in. Sometimes kids just need a half hour. Like if I walk into my math class I’m gonna have an anxiety attack.

This past year we had COVID, and we also had the Almeda fire here. My emotions have been all over the board. In some ways, I did better, because I was able to distance myself from what’s going on because I didn’t see people, didn’t go to school every day. I watched a lot of TV in my room, got lost in a fictional world. But eventually it crashed down. I had a meltdown, I can’t do this anymore, can’t keep pushing it away.

So many people lost homes [in the fire]. It wasn’t clear how we were supposed to get online to go to school. Nothing went smoothly until December. If you had questions, you had to figure it out on your own. I tried to reach a school counselor. I was struggling, but so was everyone else. There just weren’t enough resources. Even if they do get back to you, their attention is divided among 100 students.

The most important thing schools can do is find some way to listen to student feedback about mental health. Our school gave us a survey at the end of the year. They asked us stuff they’ve never asked us before, like do you feel safe in school? Do you feel like you fit in? Are you happy? And all I could think was, why are you asking this now, when we’ve just graduated? I wish they’d asked us years ago.

Amber Kiricoples, 2021 graduate, Peabody High School, Peabody, Mass.

I struggle with mental health. It runs in my family. I go to therapy regularly. It got bad in high school. My friend and I proposed excused mental health days to our school committee. They were open to it, but we were never able to follow up. It got lost in the COVID fog. They are working with us on a school curriculum for mental health, though.

We need mental health days. It’s not some joke. It’s actually a time where you need to treat your mental well-being like you do your physical well-being. You get a sprained ankle, you don’t go to school. If you wake up with a panic attack, or anxiety, what good will it do you to sit in a building all day where you can’t let it out? You need to take care of yourself.

What do adults misunderstand? Well, for one thing, that if you’re having a bad day, if you have a little attitude, you’re not a bad person. If you can’t get out of bed one day, it’s not because you’re bad. You just can’t explain it.

Coverage of social and emotional learning is supported in part by a grant from The Allstate Foundation, at AllstateFoundation.org . Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Mental Health — Persuasive On Mental Health

Persuasive on Mental Health

• Categories: Mental Health

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Published: Mar 19, 2024

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Table of contents

Introduction, the stigma surrounding mental health, the economic cost of ignoring mental health, the connection between mental health and physical health, prevention and early intervention.

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100+ argumentative essay topics on mental health | example & outline, bob cardens.

• September 2, 2022
• Essay Topics and Ideas

Argumentative Essay Topics on Mental Health. Mental health is an important and often overlooked topic. In this article, we’ll explore some argumentative essay topics related to mental health .

As you continue,  thestudycorp.com  has the top and most qualified writers to help with any of your assignments. All you need to do is  place an order  with us.

What You'll Learn

Argumentative Essay Topics about Mental Health

1. Is there a connection between mental health and physical health? 2. How does mental illness affect a person’s ability to function in society? 3. What are the most effective treatments for mental illness? 4. Are there any effective prevention strategies for mental illness? 5. What is the relationship between mental health and substance abuse? 6. How does poverty affect mental health? 7. What are the most common mental disorders? 8. What are the consequences of untreated mental illness? 9. What are the risk factors for developing mental illness? 10. How can mental illness be effectively diagnosed?

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Argumentative essay topics about depression

1. Depression is a real mental health condition.

2. Depression is more than just feeling sad.

3. Depression can lead to serious physical health problems.

4. Depression is treatable with medication and therapy.

5. People with depression can lead happy, fulfilling lives.

6. Untreated depression can be deadly.

7. Depression is often misunderstood and stigmatized.

8. Depression is not a sign of weakness or a character flaw.

9. Anyone can develop depression, even people who seem to have it all together.

10. There is no single cause of depression, but there are risk factors that can make someone more likely to develop the condition.

Argumentative Essay Topics on Mental Health. Mental health is an important and often overlooked topic. In this article, we’ll explore some argumentative essay topics related to mental health.

Argumentative essay about mental health in schools

1. Mental health should be taught in schools. 2. There should be more support for mental health in schools. 3. Mental health should be taken more seriously in schools. 4. Schools should do more to prevent mental health problems. 5. Schools should do more to help students with mental health problems. 6. Mental health problems are increasing in schools. 7. school counselors are not trained to deal with mental health issues 8. most school don’t have a mental health policy 9. lack of awareness about mental health among school staff 10. stigma and discrimination against mental health patients

Argumentative essay on mental health stigma

Argumentative essay topics about mental health can be very controversial and sensitive. However, there are many people who are open to discussing these topics and raising awareness about mental health. Here are twenty argumentative essay topics about mental health that you can use for your next essay.

1. How does society view mental health? 2. Do we need to break the stigma around mental health? 3. How can we better support those with mental health conditions? 4. What is the link between mental health and addiction? 5. How does trauma affect mental health? 6. What are the most effective treatments for mental health conditions? 7. Are there any natural remedies for mental health conditions? 8. How does diet affect mental health? 9. How does exercise affect mental health? 10. What is the link between sleep and mental health? 11. What are the warning signs of a mental health condition? 12. When should someone seek professional help for a mental health condition? 13. How can family and friends support someone with a mental health condition? 14. What are the most common myths about mental health? 15. How does stigma impact those with mental health conditions?

16. How can we destigmatize mental health? 17. What is the link between mental health and violence? 18. How does mental health affect overall health? 19. What are the most common mental health disorders? 20. What are the most effective treatments for mental health disorders?

Mental health debate topics for students

1. The definition of mental health 2. The different types of mental illness 3. The causes of mental illness 4. The treatments for mental illness 5. The side effects of mental illness 6. The impact of mental illness on society 7. The cost of mental health care 8. Mental health in the workplace 9. Mental health in the media 10. Stigma and discrimination against those with mental illness 11. The impact of trauma on mental health 12. Mental health during pregnancy and postpartum 13. Children’s mental health 14. Geriatric mental health 15. Global perspectives on mental health 16. Religion and mental health 17. Cultural competence in mental health care 18. Social media and mental health 19.Nutrition and mental health

20. Exercise and mental health

Expository essay topics about mental illness

1. How does mental illness affect one’s ability to work? 2. What are the most common types of mental illness? 3. How can mental illness be prevented? 4. What are the most effective treatments for mental illness? 5. How does mental illness impact relationships? 6. What are the financial costs of mental illness? 7. How does stigma affect those with mental illness? 8. What are the most common myths about mental illness? 9. How does mental illness differ from addiction? 10. What are the early warning signs of mental illness?

Debates about mental health

1. The definition of mental health is contested and argued by professionals in the field. 2. Some people argue that mental health is a social construction, while others believe that it is a real and valid medical condition. 3. Mental health is often stigmatized in society, and those who suffer from mental illness are often seen as weak or crazy. 4. Mental health is often viewed as something that can be cured, when in reality it is a lifelong battle for many people. 5. Mental illness is often seen as an individual responsibility to deal with, when in reality it affects not just the individual but also their families and loved ones. 6. It is often said that people with mental illness are not able to function in society, when in fact many people with mental illness are high-functioning individuals. 7. Mental health is often viewed as an all-or-nothing proposition, when in reality there is a spectrum of mental health conditions that range from mild to severe. 8. People with mental illness are often treated differently than other people, and they are often discriminated against. 9. There is a lot of misinformation about mental health, and this leads tomisunderstanding and fear. 10. Mental health is a complex issue, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to addressing it.

Persuasive topics related to mental health

1. The link between mental health and physical health. 2. The benefits of therapy and counseling. 3. The importance of early intervention for mental health issues. 4. The impact of trauma on mental health. 5. The correlation between mental health and substance abuse. 6. The connection between mental health and chronic illness. 7. The relationship between mental health and chronic pain. 8. Mental health in the workplace. 9. Mental health in the military. 10. Mental health in schools. 11. Children’s mental health issues. 12. Teens and mental health issues. 13. Elderly mental health issues. 14. Cultural issues and mental health. 15. Religion and mental health. 16. The stigma of mental illness. 17. Mental health awareness and education. 18. Mental health advocacy. 19. Funding for mental health services. 20. Access to mental health care.

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Opinion Guest Essay

Mental Health Is Political

Credit... Nico Krijno

Supported by

By Danielle Carr

Dr. Carr is an assistant professor at the Institute for Society and Genetics at U.C.L.A.

• Sept. 20, 2022

What if the cure for our current mental health crisis is not more mental health care?

The mental health toll of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the subject of extensive commentary in the United States, much of it focused on the sharp increase in demand for mental health services now swamping the nation’s health care capacities. The resulting difficulty in finding care has been invoked widely as justification for a variety of proposed solutions, such as digital health and teletherapy services provided by profit-driven start-ups and a proposed mental health plan that the Biden administration unveiled this year.

But are we really in a mental health crisis? A crisis that affects mental health is not the same thing as a crisis of mental health. To be sure, symptoms of crisis abound. But in order to come up with effective solutions, we first have to ask: a crisis of what?

Some social scientists have a term, “reification,” for the process by which the effects of a political arrangement of power and resources start to seem like objective, inevitable facts about the world. Reification swaps out a political problem for a scientific or technical one; it’s how, for example, the effects of unregulated tech oligopolies become “social media addiction,” how climate catastrophe caused by corporate greed becomes a “heat wave” — and, by the way, how the effect of struggles between labor and corporations combines with high energy prices to become “inflation.” Examples are not scarce.

For people in power, the reification sleight of hand is very useful because it conveniently abracadabras questions like “Who caused this thing?” and “Who benefits?” out of sight. Instead, these symptoms of political struggle and social crisis begin to seem like problems with clear, objective technical solutions — problems best solved by trained experts. In medicine, examples of reification are so abundant that sociologists have a special term for it: “medicalization,” or the process by which something gets framed as primarily a medical problem. Medicalization shifts the terms in which we try to figure out what caused a problem, and what can be done to fix it. Often, it puts the focus on the individual as a biological body, at the expense of factoring in systemic and infrastructural conditions.

Once we begin to ask questions about medicalization, the entire framing of the mental health toll of the Covid crisis — an “ epidemic ” of mental illness, as various publications have called it, rather than a political crisis with medical effects — begins to seem inadequate.

Of course, nobody can deny that there has been an increase in mental and emotional distress. To take two of the most common diagnoses, a study published in 2021 in The Lancet estimated that the pandemic had caused an additional 53.2 million cases of major depressive disorder and 76.2 million cases of anxiety disorder globally.

Let’s think about this. Increased incidences of psychological distress in the face of objectively distressing circumstances are hardly surprising. As a coalition of 18 prominent mental health scholars wrote in a 2020 paper in The Lancet : “Predictions of a ‘tsunami’ of mental health problems as a consequence” of Covid and the lockdown “are overstated; feelings of anxiety and sadness are entirely normal reactions to difficult circumstances, not symptoms of poor mental health.”

Things get even less surprising when you look more closely at the data: If you bracket the (entirely predictable) spike in psychological distress among health care workers (a fact that itself only reinforces the idea that the major causal vectors in play here are structural), the most relevant predictors of mental health are indexes of economic security. Of course, it’s not simply a question of the numbers on your bank statement — although that is a major predictor of outcomes — but of whether you live in a society where the social fabric has been destroyed.

Before we go further, let me be clear about what I am not arguing. I am not arguing that mental illnesses are fake, or somehow nonbiological. Pointing out the medicalization of social and political problems does not mean denying that such problems produce real biological conditions; it means asking serious questions about what is causing those conditions. If someone is driving through a crowd, running people over, the smart move is not to declare an epidemic of people suffering from Got Run Over by a Car Syndrome and go searching for the underlying biological mechanism that must be causing it. You have to treat the very real suffering that is happening in the bodies of the people affected, obviously, but the key point is this: You’re going to have to stop the guy running over people with the car.

This principle is what some health researchers mean by the idea that there are social determinants of health: that effective long-term solutions for many medicalized problems require nonmedical — this is to say, political — means. We all readily acknowledge that for diseases with a very clear biological basis like diabetes and hypertension, an individual’s body is only part of the causal reality of the disease. Treating the root cause of the “epidemic” of diabetes effectively, for example, would happen at the level of serious infrastructural changes to the available diet and activity levels of a population, not by slinging medications or pouring funding into clinics that help people make better choices in supermarkets filled with unregulated, unhealthy food. You’ve got to stop the guy running over people with the car.

But if the public health consensus around diabetes has shifted somewhat in response to what we know, it’s been remarkably hard to achieve the same when it comes to mental health.

Psychiatric sciences have long acknowledged the fact that stress is causally implicated in an enormous range of mental disorders, referring to the “stress-diathesis model” of mental illness. That model incorporates the well-documented fact that chronic stressors (like poverty, political violence and discrimination) intensify the chance that an individual will develop disorders from depression to schizophrenia.

The causal relationship may be even more direct. Remarkably, all throughout decades of research on mood disorders, scientists doing animal studies had to create animal models of anxiety and depression — that is, animals that showed behaviors that looked like human anxiety and depression — by subjecting them to weeks or months of chronic stress. Zap animals with unpredictable and painful shocks they can’t escape, force them to survive barely survivable conditions for long enough, put them in social situations where they are chronically brutalized by those higher up in the social hierarchy, and just like that, the animals will consistently start behaving in a way that looks like human psychopathology.

This doesn’t mean that all psychiatric symptoms are caused by stress, but it does mean that a whole lot of them almost certainly are. There is increasingly strong evidence for the idea that chronic elevation of stress hormones has downstream effects on the neural architecture of the brain’s cognitive and emotional circuits. The exact relationship between different types of stress and any given cluster of psychiatric symptoms remains unclear — why do some people react to stress by becoming depressed, while others become impulsive or enraged? — indicating that whatever causal mechanism exists is mediated by a variety of genetic and social conditions. But the implications of the research are very clear: When it comes to mental health, the best treatment for the biological conditions underlying many symptoms might be ensuring that more people can live less stressful lives.

And here is the core of the problem: Medicalizing mental health doesn’t work very well if your goal is to address the underlying cause of population-level increases in mental and emotional distress. It does, however, work really well if you’re trying to come up with a solution that everybody in power can agree on, so that the people in power can show they’re doing something about the problem. Unfortunately, the solution that everyone can agree on is not going to work.

Everyone agrees, for instance, that it would be good to reduce the high rate of diabetes plaguing the United States. But once we begin to de-medicalize it, diabetes starts to look like a biological problem arising from political problems: transportation infrastructure that keeps people sedentary in cars, food insecurity that makes a racialized underclass dependent on cheap and empty calories, the power of corporate lobbies to defang regulations, and so on. These are problems that people do not agree on how to solve, in part because some are materially benefiting from this state of affairs. This is to say, these are political problems, and solving them will mean taking on the groups of people who benefit from the status quo.

That the status quo is once again benefiting the usual suspects is all too obvious in the booming market of venture-capital-backed mental health tech start-ups that promise to solve the crisis through a gig economy model for psychiatric care — a model that has been criticized for selling psychiatric medication irresponsibly, with little accountability.

But even publicly funded solutions risk falling into the trap of medicalizing a problem and failing to address the deeper structural causes of the crisis. President Biden’s plan for mental health, for instance, makes many genuflections to the language of “community” and “behavioral health.” A section outlining a plan for “creating healthy environments” makes a great show of saying the right things, including: “We cannot transform mental health solely through the health care system. We must also address the determinants of behavioral health, invest in community services and foster a culture and environment that broadly promotes mental wellness and recovery.”

But then the plan goes on to focus on several proposals aimed at regulating social media platforms — a strange target that seems relevant only in a downstream way from major infrastructural determinants of health, like wealth inequality and public services — until you remember that it’s one of the few policy goals that both Democrats and Republicans share.

Sure, parts of the proposal do seem to offer genuinely needed care. For instance, a provision to establish scores of behavioral health clinics that can offer subsidized substance use treatment like methadone tapering is an exigently needed — if depressingly belated — response to the phenomenon of mass opiate addiction pushed by corporations like Purdue Pharma and Walgreens .

But even though much of the proposal seems to have been drafted with the opioid addiction crisis in mind, the billboard-size implications of this so-called epidemic seem to have failed to register. It is hard to imagine a clearer demonstration of political conditions undergoing the reification switch into a medicalized epidemic than what everyone now knows happened: The despair of the postindustrial underclass was methodically and intentionally milked by pharmaceutical companies for all it was worth. It was so obvious that at last even a political establishment that remains largely indifferent to the poor eventually had to get around to sort of doing something.

And yet when the plan addresses suicide, it focuses on crisis intervention — as if suicide were a kind of unfortunate natural occurrence, like lightning strikes, rather than an expression of the fact that growing numbers of people are becoming convinced that the current state of affairs gives them no reason to hope for a life they’d want to live.

The proposal’s primary plan to address the so-called epidemic of suicide has been the rebranding of a national suicide hotline that will encourage callers on the brink of killing themselves to refrain from doing so, and which may or may not connect them to resources like three cognitive behavioral therapy sessions (most likely conducted through teletherapy) that insurance companies will be required to cover for their customers — depending on what the state in which the caller resides has decided about funding.

It’s not so much that the hotline is a bad idea; it’s that the sheer scale of failure to comprehend the political reality that it displays, the utter inability to register how profoundly the “suicide epidemic” indicts the status quo, is ultimately more terrifying than outright indifference. It’s worth recalling that in the 2016 presidential election, even though Hillary Clinton had a “ suicide prevention ” campaign plank, communities most affected by so-called deaths of despair voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump , who addressed, however disingenuously, their economic situation and promised to bring back jobs.

Solving the mental health crisis, then, will require fighting for people to have secure access to things that buffer them from chronic stress: housing, food security, education, child care, job security, the right to organize for more humane workplaces and substantive action on the imminent climate apocalypse.

A fight for mental health waged only on the terms of access to psychiatric care does not only risk bolstering justifications for profiteering invoked by start-ups eager to capitalize on the widespread effects of grief, anxiety and despair. It also risks pathologizing the very emotions we are going to need to harness for their political power to get real solutions.

Danielle Carr is an assistant professor at the Institute for Society and Genetics at U.C.L.A. She is working on a book about the history of neuroscience.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram .

• It’s Not Just You: A Times Opinion project on mental health and society in America today.
• Part IV Your Mind and What’s Around It
• Part III Power, Politics and Feelings
• Part II Inside and Outside the Doctor’s Office
• Part I We Are Aware and Unhappy

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258 Speech Topics on Health [Persuasive, Informative, Argumentative]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Here is our collection of persuasive and informative speech topics on health and fitness. Interesting issues and themes on topics from ionizing radiation of cell phones to food additives or infant nutrition. And yes, they are just to spice up your own thoughts!

In this article:

Informative

Argumentative.

• Wearing pajamas in bed is good for your health.
• Diet beverages are often not diet at all and regular not quite regular.
• Going barefoot in the summer time – yep, wearing no shoes – is healthy for your feet.
• Take a test to see if you are at risk for any dangerous disease or virus.
• Why you should not work too hard when you’re diabetic.
• Why breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
• Fast food restaurants should offer healthier options.
• Do you think schools should teach sex education?
• People who live in big cities will die sooner.
• Too much salt is bad for your health.
• The amount of meat consumed should be reduced.
• People should care more about sleep.
• Rape and sexual assault prevention and awareness should be taught in schools.
• How drinking too much soda causes health problems.
• How junk food is unhealthy for our bodies.
• Why you should take a vacation every year.
• Is toothpaste bad for health?
• Do you think there is too much sugar in our diets?
• Drug advertisements should be prohibited.
• Euthanasia could decrease suicide rates.
• We should use electroconvulsive therapy more.
• How to overcome stress.
• Stop putting steroids in animal food.
• Why you should become an organ donor.
• Why we should use homeopathic treatments.
• Why vaccines are beneficial.
• The dangers of sleepwalking.
• Are vaporizers bad for your health?
• Are e-cigs better than cigarettes?
• Diet pills are bad for your health.
• The importance of world Red Cross day.
• Why you should be a blood donor.
• People need to drink more water.
• Healthy eating tips.
• Everyone should be taught CPR.
• The danger of secondhand smoke.
• Why exercise is good for you.
• Why obesity is a big problem.
• The importance of making healthy food cheaper.
• Is gluten really bad for us?
• The dangerous effects of drugs.
• Should doctors be paid less?
• Why you should not wear high heels.
• Why you should not go to tanning beds.
• The cost of prescription drugs is too high.
• Smoking is bad for your health.
• Why you should take care of your teeth.
• Increase funding for medical research.
• Make more healthy choices.
• Why you should laugh every day.
• Wearing bike helmets should be encouraged.
• Cherish your friends.
• Alcoholics Anonymous deserves our support.
• Socialized medicine saves lives.
• Birth control pills should be more available.
• We need more resources to prevent infectious diseases.
• Eat more dark chocolate.
• Positive thinking will benefit your health.
• Stomach stapling should be reserved for extreme situations.
• Chewing tobacco is dangerous.
• Seat belt laws help save lives.
• Food additives are dangerous.
• Breastfeeding should be encouraged.
• Binge drinking awareness should be increased.
• Teen pregnancy prevention should be increased.
• Teen suicide awareness should be increased.
• Fire safety awareness should be increased.
• Organ donation should be encouraged.
• Eat less meat and you will Iive longer.
• Your body may actually speak louder than your words.
• Indoor air pollution is responsible for many diseases.
• A traditional health insurance plan where you choose the doctors is the best.
• Traditional medicine and healing practices have been used for thousands of years with great contributions.
• United Nations organization is responsible to reduce newborn mortality and maternal mortality in the upcoming ten years.
• Everyone should have access to safe blood products originated from a quality assurance system.
• Cook your poultry or risk a campylobacter bacterial infection …
• Cell phones are safe for health.
• Proper condoms reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections spread primarily through person to person contacts.
• We must prevent that the financial crisis evaluates into a physical and mental wellness crisis.
• Most food additives are safe.
• Exposure to ionizing radiation can pose a substantial physical shape risk for vulnerable people.
• Adequate infant nutrition is essential for wellbeing the rest of a person’s life.
• Mitigating possible pandemic influenza effects should be a public priority.
• 80 percent of men suffer from prostate cancer but are completely ignorant about it.
• Abortion will endanger the health of a pregnant woman.
• Alcoholics Anonymous programs for alcoholics work.
• Balanced nutrition can prevent a heart attack.
• Condoms give women the power to protect themselves.
• Diabetes risk factors and complications must be highlighted better.
• Eating foods that contain bacterium Clostridium botulinum will cause foodborne, infant and wound botulism.
• Everyone must have easy access to healthcare services.
• Fat fast food loaded with sugar, salt and calories contributes to child obesity.
• Food should not be used for fuel.
• Hair loss in humans can be reversible through good nutrition.
• High blood pressure does put you at greater risk of having a stroke.
• Irradiated meat is not safe to eat.
• Not enough is done to prevent obesity in children.
• Patients with anorexia nervosa should be required to get palliative care.
• People with autism are not mad!
• Poor air quality is a real threat to our health.
• Soft drugs are not soft at all.
• Support the United Nations Children’s Fund initiatives like the nutrition goals!
• Teenagers are using too many risky methods to lose weight.
• The media coverage of the swine flu epidemic is over dramatized.
• The Munchausen’s syndrome needs to be dealt with better.
• There should be one uniform national healthcare system for all.
• Travel health needs to be given more importance.
• We are not drinking enough water.
• We only need one food safety agency.
• You will be fitter if you just cycled to work.

Here are some ideas for informative speech topics on physical and mental wellness – from health supplements to fitness tests and from spinning to back pain exercises.

You can use this list of speech topics in two ways:

• Take the public speaking topics as they are, and research all ins and outs.
• Associate and invent your mapping scheme.
• The role of the Center for Disease Control.
• The health problems of children born drug addicted.
• Eat healthy to live healthily.
• How does a headache happen?
• The effect of radiation.
• What are the effects of self-harm?
• Obesity facts and figures.
• The benefits of magnesium.
• Anxiety and its effects.
• The importance of sleep.
• How to avoid pesticides in vegetables.
• How to prevent elder abuse.
• How to avoid toxic chemicals in food.
• Autism and its effects.
• The different types of birth control.
• The benefits of stem cell research.
• The benefits of mindfulness.
• How to cure and prevent hangovers.
• Strategies for healthy eating.
• The benefits of being a vegetarian.
• What is spinocerebellar degeneration?
• How to reduce asthma attacks.
• The health benefits of ginger.
• The Alice in Wonderland syndrome.
• Why we should wash our hands.
• The health benefits of friendship.
• The importance of eye donation.
• Why Americans are so obese.
• The importance of childhood cancer awareness.
• The reason humans itch.
• The benefits of tea.
• The best natural medicines.
• How drinking too much can affect your health.
• How to stop the obesity epidemic.
• How to manage mental illness.
• How to prevent teen pregnancy.
• How to stop memory loss.
• The best health care plans.
• Xenophobia as a global situation.
• The best and worst abdominal exercises in a gym.
• Advantages and disadvantages of aqua aerobics for your muscles.
• How to determine your body fat percentage in three steps, and when are you in
• The effects of dietary health supplements on the long run are not certain.
• Increasing weight leads to increasing condition and risks.
• Why performance-enhancing substances such as steroids are banned in sports.
• Natural bodybuilding supplements and their benefits for normal athletes.
• Different types of Calisthenics exercises on music beats.
• Why do people apply to life extension nutrition – there is no life elixir or cocktail?
• Disadvantages of raw food diets – the flip-side topics to talk about are the
• Different methods of strength training programs for revalidating patients. Ideas for informative speech topics on fitness:
• Choosing a gym in your town, what to think of, get them a generic checklist.
• Workout myths and lies.
• The history of the Pilates system that was very popular in the nineties.
• Time-saving fitness training tips for busy persons.
• Ways to prepare for the types of physical tests, e.g. the Bruce, Beep.
• Designating a personal trainer helps you to keep on coming to the athletic club.
• Cardiovascular exercises that really work.
• Top stretching and warm up tips.
• Big three men’s salubriousness issues.
• How to get rid of blubbering cellulite adipose tissue on your waist.
• Comfortable workout clothing and activewear for women.
• What is spinning?
• Tips to stay motivated to go to the gym two or three times a week.
• Benefits of yoga workout routines.
• Back pain exercises to stretch and strengthen your back and supporting muscles.
• Different low-carb diets.
• Top five sunburn blocking tips, and do share your own wisdom, and empiricism
• Travel tips for a healthy vacation.
• How our immune system works to keep you physically strong and capable.
• Yoga diet and yogic meditation techniques.
• Strange Allergies and their symptoms and effects.
• Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, causes, treatment and life expectancy.
• Asthma solutions and natural remedies.
• Dental care how to prevent tooth decay.
• Stress management – reduce, prevent and cope with stress.
• Yoga tips for beginners and starters – ideal to demonstrate some postures.
• Why taking a vacation is good for your health.
• The effects of eating disorders.
• What is Down syndrome?
• Animal to human transplants could save lives.
• The body’s coping mechanisms when in a state of shock.
• Managing and controlling type 2 diabetes.
• How our culture affects organ donation.
• Simple AIDS prevention tips.
• How celiac disease affects our world.
• The benefits of walking without shoes.
• How smoking is harmful to your health.
• The benefits of being an organ donor.
• The dangers of texting while driving.
• The importance of vitamins and minerals.
• The nutritional value of pickles.
• The importance of wearing your seatbelt.
• The effects of caffeine on the body.
• The history of Psychology.
• Exercise combats health problems.
• High-risk pregnancy complications.
• What is narcissistic personality disorder?
• The effects of fast food on the body.
• How Monsanto affects our food.
• How the American diet has changed.
• The health benefits of dark chocolate.
• Plastic surgery is bad for your skin.
• The importance of anxiety and depression awareness.
• The benefits of regular exercise.
• How the circulatory system works.
• How to have a healthy pregnancy.
• How to get a really good sleep.
• Why the brain is so important.
• The effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
• Calcium is important
• Eating disorders in modern times.
• Herbal remedies that work for common diseases.
• Junk food and its relation to obesity.
• Obesity is the next health risk for the western world.
• Smoking bans and restrictions don’t work.
• Stretching exercises at the start of your day prevent injuries.
• The influenza vaccination effectiveness is poor.
• The losing battle with alcohol abuse.
• The necessity of mandatory HIV/AIDS testing
• The need for mandatory drug testing in our society.
• Why health care policies are important.
• A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat.
• Smoking a pipe is more harmful than smoking cigarettes.
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) should be medicated.
• Stretching before and after exercise is overrated.
• Everyone should have free access to health care.
• Knowing your ancestry is important for health.
• Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
• Eating meat and dairy is bad for your body.
• Drug addiction is a disease not a choice.
• Health risks of smoking are exaggerated.
• Veganism is an unhealthy way to raise kids.
• The need for teen depression prevention.
• The Paleo diet can ruin your health.
• Is laughter good for you?
• All farmers should go organic.
• The health benefits of marijuana.
• Bread is bad for your health.
• The dangers of herbal remedies.
• The health benefits of avocados.
• Running is unhealthy.
• Alcoholics do not want help.
• Flu shots are necessary.
• Low carbohydrate diets are more effective than low fat diets.
• Smokers should be treated like drug addicts.
• The healthcare industry earns millions due to the cures they hide.
• Vegetarianism is another word for unhealthy dieting.
• Working night-shifts costs you ten years of your life.

More Speech Topics and Examples

207 Value Speech Topics – Get The Facts

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Examining the Persuasive Effects of Health Communication in Short Videos: Systematic Review

Zicheng zhu.

1 Department of Communications and New Media, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

2 Global Health Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xian, China

Renwen Zhang

Associated data.

PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist.

Search strategies for all searched databases.

Raw data set (4118 papers).

Removed duplicates (3810 papers).

Screened by title and abstract (36 papers).

Final data set (18 papers).

Full coding.

The ubiquity of short videos has demonstrated vast potential for health communication. An expansion of research has examined the persuasive effect of health communication in short videos, yet a synthesis of the research is lacking.

This paper aims to provide an overview of the literature by examining the persuasive effect of health communication in short videos, offering guidance for researchers and practitioners. In particular, it seeks to address 4 key research questions: What are the characteristics of short videos, samples, and research designs in short video–based health communication literature? What theories underpin the short video–based health communication literature? What are the persuasive effects of health communication in short videos? and What directions should future research in this area take?

Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, an electronic search of 10 databases up to March 10, 2023, generated 4118 results. After the full-text screening, 18 articles met the eligibility criteria.

The current research lacks a uniform definition of short videos, demonstrates sample biases in location and education, and adopts limited methodologies. Most studies in this synthesis are theoretically grounded or use theoretical concepts, which are predominantly well examined in persuasion research. Moreover, relevant topics and suitable themes are effective in persuasive health communication outcomes, whereas the impact of diverse narrative techniques remains ambiguous.

Conclusions

We recommend that future research extends the definition of short videos beyond time constraints and explores non-Western and less-educated populations. In addition, researchers should consider diverse methods to provide a more comprehensive examination and investigate the impact of audience targeting and narrative techniques in short video health communication. Finally, investigating how the unique aspects of short videos interact with or challenge traditional persuasion theories is essential.

Introduction

Health communication scholars have used diverse modalities such as text, audio, and video to communicate health information to the public [ 1 ]. Many studies have demonstrated that compared with other modalities, video is more effective in disseminating health information owing to its engrossing nature [ 2 ], visual appeal, and ability to illustrate complex concepts [ 3 ]. According to the dual coding theory, people process information through 2 systems, 1 for visual information and another for verbal information [ 4 ]. The use of visual and verbal information in videos allows both systems to process and store information. Health messages disseminated through videos are more memorable because viewers can retrieve both imagery and verbal information.

In recent years, short videos have gained significant popularity and have become influential in people’s lives. TikTok, the most popular short video app, was downloaded globally more times than any other app in 2021 [ 5 ]. Instagram Reels, a short video feature on Instagram, has 2.35 billion monthly active users [ 6 ]. Similarly, YouTube Shorts has seen a remarkable 135% growth year over year, now boasting >1.5 billion monthly users [ 7 ]. Moreover, 85% of the marketers have identified short videos as the most effective format on social media [ 8 ]. The appeal of short videos is attributed to their ease of production, including easy editing of music, animation, and visual effects; convenient distribution; and their ability to cover a broad spectrum of topics, such as beauty, cooking, education, and technology [ 9 ].

Among various topics on short video platforms, health-related topics have grown extensively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization used TikTok to share reliable information and counter misinformation regarding the virus [ 10 ]. As of July 12, 2020, videos with COVID-19–related hashtags on TikTok had received a total of 130.8 billion views [ 11 ]. The affordances of short video platforms, including live streaming, searching, metavoicing, and recommending, incentivize people to seek health information on the platforms [ 12 ]. Therefore, short videos have become a powerful tool for providing health advice and influencing people’s health beliefs and behaviors [ 13 ]. Consequently, understanding how to disseminate health information through short videos is crucial.

Thus far, a large body of work has examined the spread and impact of health-related information on short video platforms. For example, Basch et al [ 14 ] and Yalamanchili et al [ 15 ] examined COVID-19–related and vaccination-related content on TikTok and found that videos featuring humor, music, and dance were positively related to user engagement, as measured through views, comments, and likes. Understanding the factors that contribute to user engagement is essential. However, health communication researchers are also interested in the factors that influence the effects of short videos on users’ health attitudes and behaviors, which may inform the design of effective health campaigns. Therefore, an increasing number of studies have examined the persuasive effects of different designs of health-related short videos. Lipkus and Sanders [ 16 ], for instance, evaluated the effects of short videos with various themes of waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) on young adults’ risk beliefs and attitudes toward WTS.

Despite this, systematic efforts to analyze the persuasive effects of health communication through short videos remain scarce, leading to gaps in our understanding of this phenomenon. A recent systematic review by McCashin and Murphy [ 17 ] investigated the use of TikTok for public health and mental health purposes and concluded that the platform holds promise as a means of disseminating health information to young audiences. Nonetheless, most of the studies within the review by McCashin and Murphy [ 17 ] focused on the relationship between TikTok health video features and user engagement, neglecting to explore persuasive outcomes. Previous research has also examined the impact of video-based education on behavioral modification, revealing that effectiveness is contingent upon target behaviors and that gain-framed messages are more efficacious [ 18 ]. However, the average video length in these studies was 36 minutes, which exceeded the typical duration of short videos, rendering these findings inadequate for understanding the impact of health communication through short videos.

To address these knowledge gaps, this paper synthesizes the existing literature on the persuasive effects of health communication in short videos. Central to this review is a focus on studies that explore various design strategies of health-related short videos, rather than those comparing the persuasive efficacy of short videos with no videos or other media modalities, such as text or images. This focus of our study emerged from the ubiquity of short videos in today’s digital landscape, which shifts the main inquiry of stakeholders from whether to use short videos for health communication, to determine the best design strategies for maximum impact. Although studies contrasting short videos with no videos or other mediums offer insights into the overall viability of short videos for health communication, research into specific design elements directly addresses the main inquiry: discerning the most effective design strategies for health persuasion in short videos. Specifically, health communication in this paper is defined as the design and dissemination of health-related messages to influence individual and community decisions promoting health [ 19 ]. Given the lack of a consensus on short video duration, we refrained from imposing a specific time constraint. Instead, we focused on studies that self-identify as examining short videos. Our study addressed 4 research questions (RQ):

• RQ1: What are the characteristics of short videos, samples, and research designs in short video–based health communication literature?
• RQ2: What theories underpin the short video–based health communication literature?
• RQ3: What are the persuasive effects of health communication in short videos?
• RQ4: What directions should future research in this area take?

The insights provided by this review hold significant value for health researchers, practitioners, and policy makers as they offer guidance for designing effective health messages in short videos and inform future investigations into the role of short videos in disseminating health information.

Data Sources and Search Strategy

Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) model [ 20 ], we executed a systematic search across 8 primary databases: ACM Digital Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Communication & Mass Media Complete, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus. Google Scholar was used as a supplementary source to augment the initial search. In addition, we incorporated the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global database to identify doctoral dissertations, as the inclusion of gray literature in systematic reviews is considered crucial for mitigating publication bias [ 21 ]. The PRISMA checklist can be found at Multimedia Appendix 1 .

As our review focuses on 3 main aspects, that is, short videos, health, and persuasive effects, we developed 3 sets of search strings ( Textbox 1 ). Specifically, for short videos, we used the term short video along with other prominent short video platforms [ 22 ]. For health and persuasive effects, we drew from the studies by Ehsan et al [ 23 ] and Walter et al [ 24 ] to generate the search strings. Consequently, the search strings were formulated as follows: (“short video” OR tiktok OR douyin OR “youtube shorts” OR “instagram reels” OR triller OR “snapchat spotlight” OR vine OR “facebook shorts”) AND (persua* OR impact OR effect OR outcome OR belief OR attitude OR behavior OR behaviour OR intention OR knowledge) AND (health OR medic* OR clinical OR disease OR disabilit* OR disorder OR ill* OR well-being OR wellbeing). We searched for these strings in the titles, abstracts, or keywords of articles within the databases. The search encompassed publications available up until the search date, March 10, 2023. The search strategies for all searched databases can be found in Multimedia Appendix 2 .

Search strings.

Short video

• short video
• youtube shorts
• instagram reels
• snapchat spotlight
• facebook shorts

Persuasive effects

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Articles were included in our corpus if they (1) pertained to health; (2) investigated the content or characteristics of short videos; (3) related to persuasion, defined as a deliberate attempt to influence people’s attitudes, beliefs, intentions, or behaviors [ 25 ]; and (4) were empirical studies. We excluded articles that (1) were not health related, (2) did not explore the content or characteristics of short videos (eg, solely examined the impact of providing a short video vs no video on persuasive outcomes [ 26 ]), (3) were not pertinent to persuasion (eg, exclusively investigated user engagement with short videos [ 14 ]), (4) were not written in English, and (5) were not full articles. We did not exclude papers based on their methods or participants, as we aimed for inclusivity in our review.

Study Screening Method

Following the initial search, we identified 4118 articles. After duplicate removal, 3810 articles remained. Adhering to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 2 authors of this study jointly screened 9.97% (380/3810) of articles, yielding satisfactory intercoder reliability with Krippendorff α=.82. The remaining articles (n=3430) were evenly allocated between the 2 coders for further scrutiny. The results were discussed among all authors to ensure compliance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ultimately, the final data set comprised 18 articles. We consulted scholars in the field to verify that no relevant literature was missing from the data set. Figure 1 illustrates the PRISMA flow diagram representing the search and screening process. The lists of papers examined at each stage are presented in Multimedia Appendices 3 to 6 [ 16 , 27 - 43 ].

PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) diagram showing the flow of studies.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

The first author thoroughly reviewed the final articles and, in collaboration with the other authors, established a codebook. The coding decisions were informed by previous reviews on TikTok and health [ 17 ] and the RQs of this study. Specifically, we coded the study identification information, including authors, publication years, and study locations. In addition, we coded basic information related to the studies’ topics, such as the health domain and study objectives. To address RQ1, we coded the video length, sample size, age, race, sex, and education level of the sample; data collection method; and study duration. For RQ2, we coded the theories used in these studies. To answer RQ3, we coded the health message design, outcome variables, persuasive effects, moderators, mediators, and moderation and mediation effects. The first author coded all studies in the final data set and discussed the coding results with all authors to ensure accurate validation against the original papers. Table 1 presents an overview of the paper’s study characteristics, and Table 2 summarizes the persuasive effects. The complete coding is provided in Multimedia Appendix 7 .

Study characteristics of the papers.

a N/A: not applicable.

Persuasive effects and theories examined in the papers.

b WTS: waterpipe tobacco smoking.

Current research on health communication in short videos predominantly focuses on three themes: (1) the prevention of unhealthy behaviors, particularly among those susceptible to such actions (eg, WTS; 2/18, 11%); (2) diminishing health-related stigma (eg, albinism; 4/18, 22%); and (3) promoting the adoption or reduction of specific behaviors (eg, influenza vaccination; 12/18, 67%). In the following sections, we provide a more comprehensive account of the studies’ basic characteristics, the theories used, and the persuasive impact of health communication in short videos.

Study Characteristics

The research methodology used in the examined studies exhibits limited variation and potential issues with sample representation, which may subsequently affect the generalizability of the findings. Of the 18 studies, 16 (89%) used experimental designs, whereas 1 (5%) study used a survey approach [ 39 ] and 1 (5%) study implemented mixed methods, incorporating a focus group after the experiment [ 27 ]. In addition, the samples in the investigated studies displayed a bias concerning location and education. Most studies (12/18, 67%) were conducted in Western countries (ie, Europe, North America, and Oceania), with only 4 studies undertaken in Africa and Asia. Two studies did not report the study location, but their participants were predominantly White [ 16 , 34 ]. Notably, such a location bias may arise from the review’s inclusion criteria, which only considered studies written in English. Consequently, research conducted in non-Western countries and published in languages other than English might have been overlooked. Among the studies targeting adults and presenting participants’ education statistics, most of the participants (9/18, 50%) held at least some college degrees. The generalizability of the persuasive effects identified in existing studies to other countries and individuals with lower educational levels remains uncertain.

In addition, current research lacks a precise definition of short videos in terms of video length. Although most studies (14/18, 78%) feature short videos that do not exceed 10 minutes in duration—the maximum video length for TikTok as of February 2022 [ 44 ]—1 study included short videos of approximately 20 minutes [ 34 ]. Furthermore, among studies with videos shorter than 10 minutes, only 3 studies had videos ≤1 minute, a typical video length for short video platforms [ 45 ].

Most studies in this synthesis are either theoretically grounded (n=9) or used variables guided by theoretical concepts. However, the theories and theoretical concepts used in these studies are predominantly well examined, particularly in persuasion research. For instance, 6 studies used theories addressing factors influencing individuals’ behavioral intentions and behaviors—specifically, social cognitive theory, the theory of planned behavior, and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. The factors examined in these theories encompass the observation of others’ behaviors, norms and social influence, attitudes, behavioral control, and expectancy. These theories have been frequently applied to understand people’s acceptance of new technology and advocated behaviors [ 46 ].

In addition, 3 studies used theories concerning people’s beliefs and attitudes, namely inoculation theory, attribution theory, and a specific theoretical model addressing the treatment of disabilities in the workplace [ 29 , 30 , 34 ]. These theories aim to comprehend the impact of people’s thinking processes (ie, attribution process, the amount of information acquired, and pre-exposed counterargument) on their subsequent perceptions and reactions. Arguably, the application of these theories offers insights for designing health messages in short videos in the included studies. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated how the unique aspects of short videos extend or challenge these traditional theories and contribute to these theories.

Persuasive Effects of Health Communication in Short Videos

The studies included in this review examined diverse designs of health messages in short videos, reporting a variety of health-related outcomes such as attitudes and beliefs (14/18, 78%), behavioral intentions (10/18, 56%), and health-related knowledge (6/18, 33%). Remarkably, only 4 studies within the synthesis assessed individuals’ health behaviors. Despite the significance of attitudes and intentions as antecedents of behavior [ 47 ], the potential for attitude-behavior discrepancies cannot be dismissed [ 48 ]. Consequently, the extent to which alterations in individuals’ attitudes and intentions may elicit changes in their behavior remains unclear. In addition, 72% (13/18) of the studies assessed outcomes immediately following interventions, whereas the remaining 28% (5/18) were longitudinal studies, measuring outcomes from 1 week to 6 months after the intervention. Furthermore, 67% (12/18) of the studies gauged participants’ pre-exposure attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors concerning central health issues. In the following sections, we discuss the primary effects of health message design in short videos, accompanied by an analysis of examined moderators and mediators.

Main Persuasive Effects of the Design of Health Messages in Short Videos

The included studies investigated various aspects of health message design in short videos, including topic relevance, topic theme, and narrative and video appeal strategies.

Topic Relevance

Topic relevance, investigated in 10 studies, refers to the effectiveness of presenting health-related topics compared with unrelated topics for persuasion. For example, Davis et al [ 38 ] assessed the effectiveness of a glaucoma eye drop technique video against a general nutrition video in improving patients’ technique. Studies of this kind produced mixed results; some found relevant topics more persuasive [ 28 , 35 ], whereas others observed nonsignificant differences [ 41 , 43 ]. However, factors such as suboptimal sampling recruitment, high attrition rates, and low character-audience relatability may contribute to these observed insignificances [ 41 , 43 ].

Topic Theme

Overall, 9 studies examined topic themes. Demonstrating that distinct themes significantly influence persuasive outcomes, these studies underscore the importance of selecting suitable themes for health communication in short videos. For example, physical harm, harm to others, and myth-related themes were more effective than addiction themes in modifying WTS perceptions [ 16 ]. Educational content was more effective than contact content, featuring individuals living with a disease in increasing disease-specific knowledge and enhancing the assessments of affected individuals [ 27 , 30 ]. Generally, themes addressing affective stimuli processing and response efficacy were more persuasive than their counterparts [ 28 , 32 ]. There is 1 exception indicating that varying attribution styles of a health issue (ie, controllable vs uncontrollable) did not significantly influence weight bias [ 34 ]; this outcome may be attributable to the study’s sample comprising registered dietitians who had previously participated in weight bias reduction training programs, potentially limiting further improvement in their weight bias levels. This underscores the significance of selecting an appropriate sample, as participants with preexisting elevated baseline perceptions, attitudes, and intentions toward the focal issue may exhibit minor changes in persuasive outcomes.

Narrative and Video Appeal Techniques

The third dimension, narrative and video appeal techniques, investigated the persuasive impact of varying strategies and appeals while maintaining consistent themes across different short videos. Video appeal demonstrated promising effects, as engaging, appealing, and comprehensible short videos were more likely to inspire behavioral intentions [ 39 ]. Conversely, the persuasive impact of narrative techniques remains ambiguous, with studies reporting inconclusive and mixed outcomes [ 40 ]. This may correspond with previous findings suggesting smaller effect sizes for videos compared with other modalities such as video games and text [ 49 ], which may be attributed to the fact that reading necessitates ongoing mental simulation and video games are intrinsically richer in sensory input, whereas processing visual stimuli involves a more automatic process requiring minimal mental investment [ 50 ].

In addition, research examining narrative techniques indicated that narrative content was more effective than informational content in altering individuals’ perceptions of influenza threat but not their perceived efficacy, intentions, or behavior [ 33 ]. This discrepancy may be ascribed to the videos’ theme emphasizing the interconnected nature of influenza rather than the efficacy aspects of vaccination, once again highlighting the importance of short video themes. Furthermore, this implies a potential interaction effect between the theme and narrative technique in short videos, where the influence of narrative techniques may be undermined without an appropriate theme. Xiao and Yu [ 31 ] found that humorous short video messages increased message likability but reduced individuals’ risk perception, emphasizing the need for additional inquiries into the intricate balance between attention-grabbing narrative methods and achieving the intended persuasive results.

Moderators and Mediators

In light of the inconclusive findings regarding the primary persuasive effects of health messages in short videos, 10 studies investigated the conditions or mechanisms under which these persuasive effects occur. These studies provided evidence that the persuasive impact of health messages in short videos was moderated by individuals’ sociodemographic factors (eg, age, race, and therapeutic background [ 16 , 35 ]), health and media literacy [ 33 , 40 ], political ideology and beliefs [ 28 ], message dissemination phases [ 31 ], and congruence between exposed and evaluated cases [ 30 ]. Generally, narrative techniques were found to be particularly beneficial for individuals with low literacy because of their limited self-efficacy in understanding and processing information [ 33 , 40 ]. In addition, health messages in short videos were particularly effective for those initially skeptical about the topic, as others might have already been receptive to the issue [ 28 , 35 ].

A mere 3 studies within the synthesis explored the mediating effect, leaving the mechanism by which the design of health messages in short videos influences people’s attitudes and behaviors unclear. Ewing et al [ 36 ] found that avoidance parenting mediated the relationship between short videos instructing parents on assisting children in coping with fears and the children’s subsequent behaviors. González-Cabrera and Igartua [ 40 ] and Violeau et al [ 37 ] found that engagement with narratives and characters mediated the persuasive efficacy of short video health messages. These findings potentially suggest that, to bolster persuasive outcomes, relevant stakeholders might consider strategizing short video designs that enhance viewer engagement and consequently persuasive results. However, it is important to exercise caution concerning the context, as such engagement with narratives and characters might be associated with emotional arousal and could be less preferable than presenting factual matters, which aids individuals in coping with uncertainty during periods of heightened crisis severity [ 51 ].

Principal Findings

Given the increasing popularity of short video platforms, discerning how to capitalize on short videos for disseminating health information has emerged as a pressing concern for health researchers and practitioners [ 13 ]. Although previous systematic reviews have primarily concentrated on the impact of health communication in short videos on user engagement [ 17 ], this study presents a systematic review of existing research exploring the persuasive outcomes of health communication in short videos, which is crucial for guiding the effective design of health messages and campaigns.

A literature search yielded 18 papers, suggesting that this area remains relatively underexplored. This synthesis unveils that the design of health messages in short videos encompasses (1) topic relevance, (2) topic themes, and (3) narrative and video appeal techniques. The persuasive effects of the design of health messages were largely mixed, with evidence supporting and contradicting the effects within each category. In the following sections, we delve deeper into the insights obtained from this review and offer guidance for future research.

Addressing Methodological Limitations: Defining Short Videos and Expanding Sample Diversity and Research Design

This synthesis highlights the fact that extant studies lack a consistent definition of short videos. Remarkably, this issue is not solely present in the examined studies, but also in the broader research on short videos. For example, Cao et al [ 52 ] defined short videos as those lasting less than 1 minute, whereas Kaye et al [ 53 ] defined short videos as those shorter than 5 minutes. Owing to the vague definitions, the lengths of short videos in the analyzed studies vary, ranging from 25 seconds to 20 minutes. When the short video platform TikTok was launched in 2016, it had a time-limit restriction of 15 seconds [ 54 ]. Subsequently, TikTok extended its maximum video length to 1 minute, 3 minutes, and 10 minutes. In light of these continuous adjustments, it is debatable whether the video length alone is adequate for defining short videos. If videos up to 10 minutes are still considered short videos, how are they differentiated from general videos, such as those uploaded to YouTube? A potential solution involves considering other salient characteristics of short videos, such as low-cost production. For instance, short video platforms equip users with features such as music, animation, and visual effect editing, allowing them to effortlessly produce videos and blur the lines between producers and consumers [ 9 , 53 ]. Further discussion regarding alternative features beyond the time limit for defining short videos is warranted.

In addition, the samples in the examined studies display biases in terms of location and education. This could potentially be attributed to the review’s inclusion criteria, which only considered studies written in English, possibly overlooking research from diverse locations not written in English. Notwithstanding this limitation, most of the investigated studies in this review were conducted in Western countries, with only 4 studies undertaken in Africa and Asia. The Asia Pacific region, in fact, boasts a greater number of short video platform users than other regions [ 55 ]. Countries such as Indonesia, Brazil, and Mexico also exhibit a high number of users accessing short video platforms [ 56 ]. More importantly, previous research has shown that individuals from different countries exhibit diverse reactions to health information. For example, Koreans and Hong Kongers demonstrated higher trust in experience-based health information compared with Americans [ 57 ]. Hong Kongers and Americans also displayed distinct heuristic and cognitive mechanisms for processing persuasive health messages [ 58 ]. Consequently, the generalizability of the persuasive effects of health messages in short videos, as observed in the West, to other countries remains uncertain. Therefore, we advocate for future research to investigate health messages in short videos in non-Western contexts or to conduct cross-cultural studies comparing persuasive effects across different countries.

The education level of study participants is also disproportionately represented. The majority of participants in the analyzed studies possessed at least some college education. However, previous research indicates that individuals with lower educational levels face higher risks of problematic smartphone use [ 59 ] and are more prone to develop internet addiction [ 60 ]. Moreover, this group exhibits less trust in most health information sources, such as the internet, magazines, and newspapers [ 61 ], and is more susceptible to health misinformation [ 62 ]. This suggests that people with lower educational levels might be more inclined to overuse short video platforms and they may process health information differently than those with higher educational levels. Consequently, investigating the persuasive effect of health messages in short videos among individuals with lower educational levels could yield additional insights into the topic.

In addition, the literature examined in this review uses limited methods, with approximately all studies exclusively relying on web-based or laboratory experiments. This limitation in methods may hinder a comprehensive understanding of the persuasive effect of health communication in short videos. To enrich the understanding, future research can use various methods, incorporating interviews, surveys, experience sampling, and even mixed methods. In addition, only a few studies within the synthesis measured the actual behaviors. Although perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes are crucial antecedents of behaviors [ 47 ], inconsistencies between attitudes and behaviors may arise [ 49 ]. To address this gap, researchers should consider using field experiments that measure participants’ behaviors both before and after the study. For example, following the approach of Qiu and Kumar [ 63 ], investigators could create fictitious accounts on short video platforms and require participants in experimental and control groups to follow different accounts through which health messages with distinct designs are disseminated. In doing so, researchers can more accurately assess people’s behaviors and reactions to the design of health messages in short videos.

Navigating Design and Theory: Exploring Content, Narrative Techniques, and Theoretical Mechanisms

Overall, when comparing various topics, themes, and narrative techniques, researchers found that identifying relevant topics and appropriate themes was effective in persuasive outcomes for health communication in short videos. However, the persuasive effects of different narrative techniques remain uncertain, possibly because of the abbreviated length of the short videos and viewers’ limited exposure. In addition, the persuasive impact of the content is dependent on the sample. Consistent with previous research demonstrating that interventions promoting attitude change have the largest effect size among individuals with poorer baseline attitudes and no prior training on the focal issue [ 64 ], the examined studies suggest that participants’ baseline attitudes and prior training may potentially influence the persuasive effects of health communication in short videos. This underscores the fact that the content for health communication in short videos may be particularly beneficial for those with limited knowledge and unfavorable attitudes.

Furthermore, the effectiveness of narrative techniques for health communication in short videos remains ambiguous. Several studies found that the anticipated superior narrative style did not outperform alternative methods [ 65 , 66 ], aligning with the findings in the study by Tukachinsky [ 49 ] that narrative techniques used in videos had a smaller effect size than textual and video game stimuli, possibly because of reduced mental simulation requirements [ 50 ]. Consequently, there is an urgent need for further research to examine the overall effectiveness of narrative techniques for health communication in short videos and the boundary conditions of such narrative techniques, such as the context of the disease [ 31 ] and target audience [ 40 ].

However, it is encouraging to note that numerous studies in this review have explored moderators, which shed light on the intricate connection between the design of health-related short videos and their intended viewers. For instance, when designing health-related short videos, it is crucial for practitioners to focus on audiences who might initially be resistant to the health message, as others might have already accepted the messages. For example, when promoting vaccination, special attention could be directed toward individuals with a mistrust of governmental entities, as they may be less likely to heed governmental health advisories [ 28 ]. The chosen narrative techniques should be tailored to the audience. For audiences with limited media and health literacy, practitioners might opt for techniques that spark their emotional responses, such as firsthand testimonials or compelling storylines.

Although we have gleaned some understanding about moderators, the mechanisms underlying the persuasive effects of health messages in short videos have yielded mixed results and remain underexplored. Only a few studies in the synthesis have examined the mediation effect, leaving the mechanism in which the design of health messages in short videos influences people’s attitudes and behaviors unclear. Hence, we encourage future research to investigate the mechanisms underlying the observed effects, with a particular emphasis on two aspects: (1) individuals’ emotional reactions and (2) their cognitive processing. This is because Updegraff and Rothman [ 67 ] posited that persuasive health messages activate individuals’ emotional responses, such as fear, happiness, and sadness, which in turn guide their behaviors. In addition, the elaboration likelihood model suggests that message attributes influence the attention and consideration individuals devote to messages, subsequently affecting their susceptibility to persuasion [ 68 ]. In this context, individuals’ emotional reactions and cognitive processing of health messages in short videos may affect the persuasive effects of messages, highlighting the need for researchers to further examine these variables as mediators.

In addition, although most of the studies in the synthesis are theoretically grounded, the theories and concepts used have been widely examined, particularly in persuasion research. Few studies have explored how the unique aspects of short videos extend or challenge traditional persuasion theories. Given the distinct features of short videos, researchers can endeavor to expand existing theories or develop new ones to comprehend the persuasive effects of short videos. For example, owing to their brief duration, attention-grabbing features are vital for short video producers. However, attention-grabbing elements, such as humor, can act as a double-edged sword in persuasion, as they might compromise the credibility of health care messages [ 69 ] and diminish risk perception [ 31 ]. Thus, striking a delicate balance between garnering attention and persuading through short videos may present a challenge for health practitioners. Further theoretical discussion and insights are required.

Limitations

This review has several limitations. First, the initial keywords used for searching might have missed studies if they did not mention the search strings in their title, abstract, or keywords. For instance, while encompassing a broad array of short video platforms, this review may omit platforms that are not specified in the search string. To enhance comprehensiveness, future research should consider expanding the search strings to capture a wider range of short video platforms. Second, the purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of existing studies and offer guidance for researchers and practitioners, which led to the adoption of a fine-grained systematic review approach rather than a meta-analysis. The diverse research focuses among the included articles also impede the feasibility of conducting a meta-analysis. Nevertheless, as the number of studies in this area continues to grow, a more advanced meta-analysis may become necessary in the future. Finally, given the limited number of studies included in this review, our findings regarding persuasive impacts might be inconclusive. As more research surfaces in the future, a clear understanding of persuasion effects may be established.

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by National University of Singapore Start-up Grant.

Abbreviations

Multimedia appendix 1, multimedia appendix 2, multimedia appendix 3, multimedia appendix 4, multimedia appendix 5, multimedia appendix 6, multimedia appendix 7.

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

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112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

What’s covered:, how to pick an awesome persuasive speech topic, 112 engaging persuasive speech topics, tips for preparing your persuasive speech.

Writing a stellar persuasive speech requires a carefully crafted argument that will resonate with your audience to sway them to your side. This feat can be challenging to accomplish, but an engaging, thought-provoking speech topic is an excellent place to start.

When it comes time to select a topic for your persuasive speech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options to choose from—or your brain may be drawing a completely blank slate. If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect topic, don’t worry. We’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing how to choose the perfect persuasive speech topic and tips to prepare for your speech. Plus, you’ll find 112 persuasive speech topics that you can take directly from us or use as creative inspiration for your own ideas!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

It’s much easier to write, research, and deliver a speech about a cause you care about. Even if it’s challenging to find a topic that completely sparks your interest, try to choose a topic that aligns with your passions.

However, keep in mind that not everyone has the same interests as you. Try to choose a general topic to grab the attention of the majority of your audience, but one that’s specific enough to keep them engaged.

For example, suppose you’re giving a persuasive speech about book censorship. In that case, it’s probably too niche to talk about why “To Kill a Mockingbird” shouldn’t be censored (even if it’s your favorite book), and it’s too broad to talk about media censorship in general.

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have you already heard a persuasive speech topic presented dozens of times? If so, it’s probably not an excellent choice for your speech—even if it’s an issue you’re incredibly passionate about.

Although polarizing topics like abortion and climate control are important to discuss, they aren’t great persuasive speech topics. Most people have already formed an opinion on these topics, which will either cause them to tune out or have a negative impression of your speech.

Instead, choose topics that are fresh, unique, and new. If your audience has never heard your idea presented before, they will be more open to your argument and engaged in your speech.

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

For a persuasive speech to be engaging, there must be a clear side of opposition. To help determine the arguability of your topic, ask yourself: “If I presented my viewpoint on this topic to a group of peers, would someone disagree with me?” If the answer is yes, then you’ve chosen a great topic!

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for what it takes to choose a great persuasive speech topic, here are over one hundred options for you to choose from.

• Should high school athletes get tested for steroids?
• Should schools be required to have physical education courses?
• Should sports grades in school depend on things like athletic ability?
• What sport should be added to or removed from the Olympics?
• Should college athletes be able to make money off of their merchandise?
• Should sports teams be able to recruit young athletes without a college degree?
• Should we consider video gamers as professional athletes?
• Is cheerleading considered a sport?
• Should parents allow their kids to play contact sports?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as professional male athletes?
• Should college be free at the undergraduate level?
• Is the traditional college experience obsolete?
• Should you choose a major based on your interests or your potential salary?
• Should high school students have to meet a required number of service hours before graduating?
• Should teachers earn more or less based on how their students perform on standardized tests?
• Are private high schools more effective than public high schools?
• Should there be a minimum number of attendance days required to graduate?
• Are GPAs harmful or helpful?
• Should schools be required to teach about standardized testing?
• Should Greek Life be banned in the United States?
• Should schools offer science classes explicitly about mental health?
• Should students be able to bring their cell phones to school?
• Should all public restrooms be all-gender?
• Should undocumented immigrants have the same employment and education opportunities as citizens?
• Should everyone be paid a living wage regardless of their employment status?
• Should supremacist groups be able to hold public events?
• Should guns be allowed in public places?
• Should the national drinking age be lowered?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should the government raise or lower the retirement age?
• Should the government be able to control the population?
• Is the death penalty ethical?

Environment

• Should stores charge customers for plastic bags?
• Should breeding animals (dogs, cats, etc.) be illegal?
• Is it okay to have exotic animals as pets?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Should compost bins become mandatory for restaurants?
• Should electric vehicles have their own transportation infrastructure?
• Would heavier fining policies reduce corporations’ emissions?
• Should hunting be encouraged or illegal?
• Should reusable diapers replace disposable diapers?

Science & Technology

• Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
• Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
• Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
• Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Should scientists invest more or less money into cancer research?
• Should cloning be illegal?
• Should societies colonize other planets?
• Should there be legal oversight over the development of technology?

Social Media

• Should there be an age limit on social media?
• Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
• Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
• Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
• Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
• Should social media be censored?
• Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
• Is regular social media usage damaging to real-life interactions?
• Is social media distorting democracy?
• How many branches of government should there be?
• Who is the best/worst president of all time?
• How long should judges serve in the U.S. Supreme Court?
• Should a more significant portion of the U.S. budget be contributed towards education?
• Should the government invest in rapid transcontinental transportation infrastructure?
• Should airport screening be more or less stringent?
• Should the electoral college be dismantled?
• Should the U.S. have open borders?
• Should the government spend more or less money on space exploration?
• Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
• Should nuns and priests become genderless roles?
• Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
• Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
• Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
• Should the church be separated from the state?
• Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?

Parenting & Family

• Is it better to have children at a younger or older age?
• Is it better for children to go to daycare or stay home with their parents?
• Does birth order affect personality?
• Should parents or the school system teach their kids about sex?
• Are family traditions important?
• Should parents smoke or drink around young children?
• Should “spanking” children be illegal?
• Should parents use swear words in front of their children?
• Should parents allow their children to play violent video games?

Entertainment

• Should all actors be paid the same regardless of gender or ethnicity?
• Should all award shows be based on popular vote?
• Who should be responsible for paying taxes on prize money, the game show staff or the contestants?
• Should movies and television shows have ethnicity and gender quotas?
• Should newspapers and magazines move to a completely online format?
• Should streaming services like Netflix and Hulu be free for students?
• Is the movie rating system still effective?
• Should celebrities have more privacy rights?

Arts & Humanities

• Are libraries becoming obsolete?
• Should all schools have mandatory art or music courses in their curriculum?
• Should offensive language be censored from classic literary works?
• Is it ethical for museums to keep indigenous artifacts?
• Should digital designs be considered an art form? 
• Should abstract art be considered an art form?
• Is music therapy effective?
• Should tattoos be regarded as “professional dress” for work?
• Should schools place greater emphasis on the arts programs?
• Should euthanasia be allowed in hospitals and other clinical settings?
• Should the government support and implement universal healthcare?
• Would obesity rates lower if the government intervened to make healthy foods more affordable?
• Should teenagers be given access to birth control pills without parental consent?
• Should food allergies be considered a disease?
• Should health insurance cover homeopathic medicine?
• Is using painkillers healthy?
• Should genetically modified foods be banned?
• Should there be a tax on unhealthy foods?
• Should tobacco products be banned from the country?
• Should the birth control pill be free for everyone?

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can  use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original persuasive speech ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Do Your Research

A great persuasive speech is supported with plenty of well-researched facts and evidence. So before you begin the writing process, research both sides of the topic you’re presenting in-depth to gain a well-rounded perspective of the topic.

Understand Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your audience to deliver a great persuasive speech. After all, you are trying to convince them that your viewpoint is correct. Before writing your speech, consider the facts and information that your audience may already know, and think about the beliefs and concerns they may have about your topic. Then, address these concerns in your speech, and be mindful to include fresh, new information.

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Once you have finished writing your speech, have someone read it to check for areas of strength and improvement. You can use CollegeVine’s free essay review tool to get feedback on your speech from a peer!

Practice Makes Perfect

After completing your final draft, the key to success is to practice. Present your speech out loud in front of a mirror, your family, friends, and basically, anyone who will listen. Not only will the feedback of others help you to make your speech better, but you’ll become more confident in your presentation skills and may even be able to commit your speech to memory.

Hopefully, these ideas have inspired you to write a powerful, unique persuasive speech. With the perfect topic, plenty of practice, and a boost of self-confidence, we know you’ll impress your audience with a remarkable speech!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• Victor Mukhin

Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.     Victor M. Mukhin defended a Ph. D. thesis and a doctoral thesis at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (in 1979 and 1997 accordingly). Professor of Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. Scientific interests: production, investigation and application of active carbons, technological and ecological carbon-adsorptive processes, environmental protection, production of ecologically clean food.   

Title : Active carbons as nanoporous materials for solving of environmental problems

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15 men brought to military enlistment office after mass brawl in Moscow Oblast

Local security forces brought 15 men to a military enlistment office after a mass brawl at a warehouse of the Russian Wildberries company in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast on Feb. 8, Russian Telegram channel Shot reported .

29 people were also taken to police stations. Among the arrested were citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

A mass brawl involving over 100 employees and security personnel broke out at the Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal on Dec. 8.

Read also: Moscow recruits ‘construction brigades’ from Russian students, Ukraine says

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

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