Rethink: Charity brands online mental health quiz “irresponsible and damaging”
Mental health charity Rethink has today expressed its disgust at an online mental health quiz featured on social networking site Facebook.
The quiz, entitled “What mental disorder do you have?”, invites Facebook users to answer questions to find out if they or their friends have a mental health problem. “C’mon, we know you must have something!” it reads.
The quiz covers issues such as:
“You often feel that people are watching you”
“You feel as if people are out to get you”.
“You feel extremely hyper somedays to the point where you almost drive yourself crazy”
At the end of the quiz the person is given a diagnosis. Those deemed to have manic depression are advised to “start living” and to “eat lots of fast food and candy” while those diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder are told “Relax! You have OCD and it’s annoying everyone you come in contact with”.
Jane Harris, head of campaigns at Rethink, says that the quiz should be erased. She says:
“Not only is this quiz irresponsible, it is also potentially damaging to people who may be experiencing real symptoms of mental illness. People experiencing mental distress often turn to the internet in search of information and advice. Being told to “relax” or “eat lots of fast food” is neither helpful nor sensible advice. The makers of this quiz should be ashamed and Facebook should take the quiz down immediately. It is not acceptable for mental illness to be trivialised in such a way.”
The quiz has been posted on Facebook by Froonie, a technology and telecommunications service. Other Froonie quizzes include “What crappy Christmas gift are you?” and “What kind of friend are you?”.
About Rethink
Rethink, the leading national mental health membership charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life. We aim to provide hope and empowerment through effective services and support to all those who need us and campaign for change through greater awareness and understanding.
For further information on the charity and its work, visit: www.rethink.org or call 0845 456 0455.
The Mental Health Shop was created by two leading mental health charities, Rethink and Mental Health Media, and features an array of books, leaflets, DVD’s and videos on a range of mental health topics including recovery, treatment and discrimination. This unprecedented collaboration now allows for a ‘one stop shop’ combining a range of mental health publications and products.Visit www.mentalhealthshop.org
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