So, you’re looking for a post-grad degree to continue your further education and keep your brain working – good for you! There are plenty of post-grad topics to study in the world, but we’re big advocators for mental health degrees for people who want to help improve the lives of others.
Mental health professionals are more important now than ever before, helping to improve the psychological, emotional, and social aspects of others’ lives. It’s one of the most rewarding degree options you can opt for, and that’s just one of the many reasons why you should study mental health for your post-grad degree!
Whether you’re weighing up your options or thinking about studying a mental health post-grad online, we’ve got six reasons why you should be excited about this degree.
- Promote mental health awareness
Mental health awareness is so important, now more than ever! One in four people experience mental health issues every year, but there is still such a stigma surrounding mental health and its treatments. When studying, you can learn more about mental health conditions and services to help reduce the stigma and help others around you learn this vital information.
- Help improve the lives of people around you
While studying, you’ll be able to learn skills and be trained in a way that you wouldn’t understand otherwise to work as a mental health professional. You’ll be in a better position to be able to diagnose mental health issues, provide excellent support for many mental health conditions, and support people through their recovery. While you’re studying you might not be able to do this on patients yet, but you will be able to apply your knowledge to anyone suffering through mental health issues around you.
- Contribute to the community
Mental health often causes a negative impact on society, such as poverty, unemployment, education, and even homelessness. In many parts of the world there are simply not enough mental health resources for people and many are very uneducated in the area, so people suffering are often left to figure it out on their own. This is where the negative impact comes from because many people don’t have the resources to help themselves.
When you study the subject of mental health, you’ll be able to help others treat and understand their mental health conditions to prevent the negative impact on the community. You can also help their friends and family to make sure they’re better equipped to be a support system for the patient.
- Experience job satisfaction
The best jobs offer you a feeling of satisfaction after the day is done, and mental health services can offer that tenfold. You’re helping others make important and life-changing differences in their lives, and you should be proud of the work you’re doing! Studying a mental health post-grad degree keeps you looking forward to your future and reminding you what you’re working towards. The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in your future job will be well worth the extra work you’re experiencing now.
- Learn new skills
A postgraduate degree usually takes one year to complete, although some run for longer depending on how much you’re being taught. That’s at least 12 more months of learning and broadening your thinking to make sure you’re the best mental health professional you can be. The extra skills and techniques can be applied in the future to make sure you’re working effectively with others, and give you more time to perfect them that you might’ve otherwise not had without the post-grad degree.
Some of these skills include communication, empathy, teamwork, and resilience, and you can use them in your everyday life as well as with patients. Additionally, new skills that certified first aid professionals learn with a post-degree enhance the cognitive response to emergencies that impact the aid of patients.
- Help yourself
As we’ve mentioned, mental health conditions are incredibly common and many people suffer every year. With your training, not only will you be able to spot the signs in other people around you, but also yourself. Should you find yourself with similar symptoms, you’ll be in a better position to get yourself help when you need it most.
Final thoughts
There are countless reasons why it might be beneficial to study a mental health post-grad degree, as long as it’s something you’re passionate about. Not only can you help yourself and the lives of other people around you, but you can also make a difference in society and help break the stigma surrounding mental health. You’ll also be able to learn new valuable skills and set yourself up for a future of job satisfaction and (hopefully) success.
