Activity 1. Fact or Fiction? Purpose: To identify myths related to mental illness and disprove them. Materials: Powerpoint presentation, projector Time: 15 minutes Instruction: Show the participants each statement and ask if they think it is a myth or fact. Actually, all the statements are myths. What’s important is to see how much of the target population believes it to be true or false and then provide the facts to debunk these myths. After you have run through the myths and facts, you can ask the participants to reflect on what they have learned. Training Module on the Right to Mental Health in the Academe MODULE 2 What Is Mental Illness? Common Myths about Mental Health Myth: Mental health problems don’t affect me. Fact: Mental health problems are actually very common. As of 31 October 2021, the NCMH Crisis Hotline provided mental health services to 31,282 Filipinos since 2 May 2019. Myth: Children don’t experience mental health problems. Fact: According to UNICEF, more than 1 in 7 adolescents globally, aged 10–19 is estimated to live with a diagnosed mental disorder. Almost 46,000 adolescents die from suicide each year, which is among the top five causes of death for their age group. Myth: People with mental illness are all potentially violent and dangerous. Fact: People with mental illness are no more dangerous than people who do not experience mental illness. People with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crimes than the general population. Myth: People with mental illness are somehow responsible for their condition. 8