October 10th, 2021 marks World Mental Health Day. Mental health is a taboo topic for many, which is why awareness days like today are needed. At the same time, shedding taboos only happen when we start talking about them often. Every day.
At War On Cancer, every day is World Mental Health Day
The War On Cancer app is here to radically improve the mental health of everyone affected by cancer. In our latest health study, launched on World Cancer Day earlier this year, 92% reported a need for mental health support after being diagnosed with cancer.
Mental health is not taboo because few people experience it or know what it is. Everyone has experiences that affect mental health – whether it be loss, trauma, meaning, or growth. It touches virtually everyone at some point in life, yet we’re still pretty bad at approaching mental health in a candid, relatable way. Add another taboo subject like cancer into the mix, and it gets even harder.
That’s why we’re here. 365 days a year, the War On Cancer app is a space where it’s okay to open up (or close down) to improve your mental health during and after your experience with cancer. By learning from and helping others, sharing your story, connecting with people who get it, and shaping the future of cancer care, we aim to make your life with and after cancer easier to cope with and grow from.
Introducing a New Health Study: Enhancing Communication Through Emojis
That said, sometimes talking about mental health can be really hard, whether that’s with loved ones or your healthcare provider. Either way, sometimes there are no words. Yet, mental health is equally part of experiencing cancer as the physical aspect and it’s important to be able to communicate with your healthcare team about where you’re at.
That’s why we’ve recently launched a new Health Study that investigates how emojis can simplify and enhance communication between you and your healthcare provider in order to prevent isolation, loneliness, and other negative mental health effects when going through cancer.
Do you prefer using emojis to text to describe your emotions? Which emojis best represent pain? Calm? Fatigue? Growth? Emojis are becoming the go-to way to express emotions and enhance communication and we want to know if implementing them in your communication with healthcare professionals could help you express your emotions and help you open up about your mental health.
Besides being important, it’s actually a pretty fun study and contributing to something bigger can improve your mental health. Win-win. Participate today and be part of making healthcare more patient-centric.
Focusing on mental health year-round
We need to start highlighting mental health and making it easier to talk about.
Once again, 92% of people who experience cancer also felt a need for mental health support, which means there’s not only a need but a genuine desire to boost our psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing. These numbers need attention, all day, every day from all stakeholders in the cancer space.
This World Mental Health Day, we raise our voices for the mental health of everyone affected by cancer, just like we do every other day. Regardless of where you are – coping with grief, dealing with anxiety or depression, or feeling like you’re coming out and over, growing stronger through adversity. War On Cancer celebrates World Mental Health Day everyday, in order to improve mental health, connect, find meaning, and grow through cancer together.
