As part of my research I decided to create a survey on mental health, posting it on my social medias to reach as many people as possible. I’ve created a survey of 26 questions, and overall received 45 responses. Below I have broken down each question and all of the responses I received, explaining how each helps aid my research.
Question one
The first question I asked was to collect some information on the statistics of mental health conditions. Although they are becoming more common, I did not expect that 75% of the people that answered my survey would have been diagnosed with some form of mental health condition.
Question two
To gain further insight into the answers from the first question, I created a multiple-choice answer listing some of the most common mental health disorders. My answers concluded that anxiety was the most common among the people that filled out my survey, followed by depression, PTSD, OCD and anorexia. None of the people that filled my survey had been diagnosed with bipolar, however six people voted for other. These people detailed they had struggles with health anxiety, histrionic, ODD, EUPD, abnormal depression and Tryanophobia.
As explored in one of my previous posts, health anxiety is a specific kind of anxiety that is based around a fear of a health condition or complication. Histrionic is a personality disorder commonly referred to as dramatic personality disorder, which consists of a pattern of exaggerated emotional and attention seeking behaviors. ODD stands for oppositional defiant disorder. This disorder is most common in children, who often show extreme uncooperative, defiant and hostile behaviors towards peers such as their parents, teachers or other figures of authority. EUPD stands for emotionally unstable personality disorder, also known as borderline personality disorder. This disorder is a condition which affects how you think, feel and interact with others, and can cause emotional instability, upsetting thoughts, and rash decision making. Additionally abnormal depression is a sub type of major depressive disorder, which involves extremely worsened and specific symptoms such as increased appetite, weight gain, excessive sleepiness and extreme fatigue or moods that are strongly reactive to certain environmental circumstances. Finally Tryanophobia is an extreme fear of medical procedures that involve needles. This is similar to a general fear of needles, pins or sharp objects, however people of this disorder fear them in specific, medical settings.
However, I was not surprised to see that 17 of the respondents had claimed to have been diagnosed with a combination of two or more mental health disorders. The most common pairing being depression and anxiety. I also noted that with disorders such as OCD or PTSD, respondents often had depression and/or anxiety, likely as a symptom of their larger disorder.
Question three
I was not surprised to learn that only three of the 45 respondents did not know of anyone else that had been diagnosed with a mental health condition. Especially since the rise of mental health disorders since Covid, I was expecting this answer to have been a very large number.
Question four
Once again, anxiety was the most common disorder, followed by depression, OCD, bipolar, PTSD, anorexia, and lastly one vote for other which detailed a diagnosis of DID.
DID, also known as dissociative identity disorder, was previously referred to as multiple personality disorder. Someone with this condition may feel uncertain about their identity and who they are, which may lead to them feeling the presence of multiple identities, each with their own names, voices, origins, and mannerisms.
Question five
For this question, I listed words commonly used to describe mental illnesses, and created a multiple choice answer. I was quite surprised to learn no one has ever used the words stabbing, or stinging pains to describe their symptoms, however was not surprised to learn Isolating, exhausting and suffocating were the top three answers. These were followed by hopeless, numb, heavy, debilitating, rejected, and lastly terror.
Question six
When then asking the respondents how they may describe their symptoms, in their own words, I was not surprised that many of the respondents used a combination of the three most popular words from the previous question. Many also explained they feel like a burden, like they ruin their time with other people, and are an inconvenience for those around them.
Question Seven
Knowing how hard it can be to reach out, and how common it is for people to suffer in silence, I was quite surprised to learn that only one of the 45 respondents hadn’t had any experience with any of the mental health organisations I had listed. From the other 44 respondents, over half had experiences with the NHS, followed by nine people having experience with the Mind charity, eight with Samaritans, seven with young minds, six with Childline, five with I talk, two with anxiety UK, one with refuge, and one with public health England. Seven of the respondents chose the other response, naming the moving on project, no limits, shout, the mix, private therapy, and multiple mentions of cahms.
I noted many of the respondents that experiences with the NHS, had also chose one or multiple other charities. This helps to build the idea, mentioned in one of my previous posts, that the NHS often refers individuals to other organisations rather than dealing with the issues themselves.
Question Eight
Out of the 45 responses above, only 10 people claim their experience with these organisations was positive, while only four say the overall experience was solely negative, and the majority of 18 respondents said they had a mixed response.
Question Nine
In this question I asked the respondents to detail the answer to the question above. Many people said that negative experiences were due to long waiting lists, some even being told they would have to wait upwards of three years. Another popular response was many people have been told they were too young to be feeling what they were feeling, and they were bound to grow out of it soon – as you can imagine, this could probably be very belittling, and therfore most likely worsen the persons condition. Some people also mentioned they believe the NHS do try their best to help, but they have more people needing help than what they can cope with, so the help given is often rushed and not enough. I can agree with this, as shown in the responses prior, it seems to be a common occurrence that the NHS refer patients to other organisations, as they do not have the time and resources to help on their own.
Many of the mixed responses claimed that some people really helped while some organisations just brushed them under the rug. Another explained the person they were seeing tried their best to help but ended up just triggering the patients symptoms. Once again many people said they believe these organisations try their best but have so many people to help, the process ends up so rushed that it’s not overall very helpful
However, for those that stated they had a positive experience, many explain they had understanding counselors, who advised great coping strategies, and made the conditions easily understandable. One person explained it was helpful having someone to contradict to the negative thoughts and ask what evidence they had to support them, as this made the patient realise it was just a thought, not a reality. Another claimed it was helpful to just have someone there to listen, even if they didn’t really do much to help, as having someone to listen let them get all of their frustrations out and lift a weight of their shoulders.
Question ten
In this question I asked if anyone believed they had any other mental health conditions that had not been diagnosed. I was not surprised when almost half of the respondents answered yes to this question. After learning how common is for people to suffer in silence, it really wasn’t a shock to me when 20 people chose yes.
Question eleven
To detail the response above, I next asked the respondents why they think they had not been diagnosed. As mentioned above, I know it is fairly common for people to suffer in silence as many are ashamed of their feelings, or are scared to make their suspicions a reality. This was proven when many people explained that they had not made it round to contacting a doctor, have been scared to speak about it, or are scared that a diagnosis may close doors for their futures. Many people Also described instances of being dismissed in the past which had put them off of returning. Some people also mentioned they had previously been told they were too young, that multiple doctors hadn’t agreed on one diagnosis, or they didn’t want the hassle of going through the long process. Finally, someone mentioned they do not need a diagnosis to see that it is the issue, and therefore feel they would be wasting the doctors time if they were to make an appointment.
Question twelve
When asking the respondents if they believe they have ever been missed diagnosed, I was surprised to learn only eight of the people believe that they have,while twenty nine responded no.
Question thirteen
When asking my respondents whether they believed mental health had a positive representation in the media, I was not surprised that the majority, 30 respondents, voted no, and only 13 voted yes, while 5 voted mixed.
Question fourteen
When asking my respondents to explain their previous answer, many people included the fact that the media coverage surrounding social media has drastically improved within the more recent years. People also explained they believe that the UK is one of the most positive country’s regarding media surrounding this topic, also explaining there is now plenty of information regarding what one can do to help someone they know who is struggling, as there are many advocates in the media now to help share important messages on how and where to get help.
However, those that answered no, also supported the idea that other countries have a much more negative representation than in the UK. Many also explored the topic that many people who talk about mental health in the media are often branded weak, excuse makers or attention seekers. People also spoke about the idea that mental health is glorified or villainised within mainstream media, and spoke about how the information that is shared could be more accurate, rather than creating negative stigmas around people who struggle. People also explored how people can post triggering content without realising, further supporting the idea that there is inaccurate and unrealistic information being fed to the public, as well as the idea that no one steps in until it’s too late when it comes to a celebrity opening up about their mental health.
Question fifteen
When asked whether the respondents believed social media has an overall positive effect on one’s mental health, I was not surprised when only six of the respondents answered yes. As explored in one of my previous posts, although it has its good points, I believe social media is one of the darkest places for someone suffering with mental health issues.
Question sixteen
When asked to support their previous answer, many people spoke about the fact that there is a huge market for negative, dark and triggering content such as Gore and crime related content. Similar to what is referred to as the dark web, and its contents, graphic videos and images are now being shared openly, and often as a claim to fame. Additionally the topics of unrealistic standards, an unrealistic reality, and out of balance atmosphere, was explored, while talking more specifically about content that encourages body insecurity and a dissatisfaction towards a persons individual achievements. People also spoke about the dark loop of being reliant on our phones, while exploring the idea that technology distorts the real world, and glorifies horrific and difficult subjects.
Whereas, those who chose yes explored the idea that certain social media channels are trying to create a positive space around mental health and its surrounding topics, sharing content to support and help those suffering. The idea that social media is used as a distraction for one struggles, as well as a positive place to build communities and support those we love, was also explored
Question seventeen
When asking my respondents why they thought there was such a negative stigma around mental health conditions and topics relating to the issue, many of the responses were very similar.
Most of the responses mentioned something about a lack of education, causing misinformation to be spread, which in turn leads to ignorance and fear mongering. Many people mentioned how people feel ashamed to talk or reach out, so therefore hide their feelings, making it seem less of a reality for certain individuals. Some others mentioned how this is only recently becoming a more positive topic, so many people have not yet adapted to the new way. I also thought one answer in specific was quite interesting as the respondent mentioned mental health is seen as a one size fits all issue, rather than facing the realities of how different one condition can be to each person. Overall many people agree that there is an issue that not many people want to admit is real.
Question eighteen
When asked whether they thought more should be done to raise awareness, and break stigmas around the subject, 43 people responded yes, leaving only one respondent to choose no, it is fine as it is. Thankfully, option that it was an unnecessary topic was not chosen by anybody.
Question Nineteen
When asked whether they believed the idea that mental health conditions are Demons tormenting a person, was a good representation of how these conditions may feel, I was surprised that twenty eight people agreed, and only thirteen didn’t. Although I personally believe this is an accurate representation of how these conditions can sometimes feel, I was not expecting many people to agree.
Question twenty
When asked which colours one may associate with mental health struggles, I was not surprised to learn that black was the most popular colour with 33 votes, closely followed by grey with 22 votes, red with 15, blue with eight, white with seven, chrome with three and purple with two.
Question twenty one
In a similar question, when asked what products and materials one may associate with mental health struggles, I was not surprised that barbed wire was the most popular option with thirty one votes, tying with the idea of a heavy sensation. Crying was the next popular with twenty seven votes, followed by rope with twenty two, torn material with fifteen, crying blood with fourteen, eight for stinging, dust, and stone, seven for strangulation and cobwebs, six for fabric, five for studs and spikes, and one for leather and silk.
Question twenty two
When asked whether the respondents believed make up, hair and fashion could be used to create looks that portray important messages, and make positive changes, twenty three people responded yes, while nineteen responded potentially and only two responded no.
As a creative artist this surprised me as I know that not many people think of make up as a form of art, they just picture the glamorous make up that can be seen within the mainstream media.
Question twenty three
When asked why they answered the previous question in the way that they did, many people explained that using good creativity within a look can help execute a look really well and give an indication into how it may feel to experience mental health symptoms. Many people claimed make up and fashion were good forms of expression, and are a great way to portray feelings and emotions. Therefore, if these works were published they could be extremely powerful, as their image will be memorable, and therefore could help to raise awareness.
However a few people believed that academic writing could portray this message better, disagreeing with the idea that make up and fashion can help give an audience a better perspective. Another person explained they feel there are already too many negative connotations around make up being used to mask peoples imperfections, and therefore it may be insensitive to use this medium to portray mental health conditions.
However, I agree that using make up and fashion to create a dramatic statement will help people stop and look, and create a meaningful and memorable image in their minds.
Question twenty four
When asked if people had already seen any examples of this work , Only ten people answered yes, wile the other thirty four answered no. Considering the majority of people agreed that these mediums could be used in this way, on question above, I was surprised that not many people had actually seen it done. I believed that maybe they were only agreeing with the statement in the previous question if they had seen previous examples.
Question twenty five
When asked where people had seen this work before, many people mentioned seeing photographs of people screaming into broken glass. I really like this idea, and feel it could really help to represent a mental health disorder. Many people also mentioned online influences representing conditions within make up looks, on sites such as Instagram and TikTok. Another respondent mentioned seeing a similar story with an art in motion, and another explained that they think make up and fashion is a great way to communicate emotions and has seen it in plenty of scenarios.
Question twenty six
In my final question, I asked my respondents if they could recommend any sources, for me to explore during my research.
A few people mentioned looking into artists that paint on canvas, rather than fellow make up artists. Obviously the respondent wasn’t aware of what I had already completed, but I had decided in the early stages of this unit, that I wanted to look into artists, as many influencers and make up artists have created glamorous versions of these looks, and I am wanting to go dark in order to portrey how these conditions can truly feel.
Others mentioned a range of influences, from beauty and fashion accounts, to mental health support accounts, in order for me to gain an insight into the day-to-day struggles of those of certain conditions, and to get make up inspiration. Another mentioned exploring wall art, poetry, a book named the Little book of colour, interviews, and statistics. Finally, one person mentioned a series they had seen of people looking through different colour lens glasses, exploring the idea that people with these conditions see life differently. I really like this idea and will definitely ensure to look in to all of the sources mentioned above during my research process.
Megan Hoff 