HELPING
YOUNG MINDS
FIND A BETTER
PLACE
Mental Health Awareness Orientation
Before we move on, you should
know…
THERE IS NOTHING
WRONG WITH YOU &
YOU ARE NOT
ALONE!
What Is Mental Health?
• Is defined as a state of well-being in which every
individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope
with the normal stresses of life, can work productively
and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or
his community
• Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and
social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.
• It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to
others, and make choices. Mental health is important at
every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence
through adulthood.
Activity 1: The Words We Use
• Write all of the good/positive words for
mental health on one piece of meta cards
• Write all of the bad/negative words for
mental health on the other piece of meta
cards
• What do you notice?
Mental Health & Stigma
• When someone experiences a mental health problem it
can be difficult for others to understand what that
person may be going through and how they can help.
• When we make assumptions about how mental health
problems will affect someone's behaviour, this makes it
more likely that they will be singled out, or labelled as
different, dangerous or strange. This is what we call
stigma.
• Treating someone differently from how we treat others
because of their mental health, whether consciously or
subconsciously, is what we call discrimination.
Mental Health & Stigma
• In a recent Time to Change survey, 9 in 10 young people reported
experiencing stigma from others as a result of their mental health
problem. They described stigma as feeling:
– Isolated
– Shamed
– Misunderstood
– Criticised as a person
– Demeaned.
• In fact, many said the stigma they received from friends, family,
boyfriends or girlfriends, teachers and even doctors was worse than the
mental health problem itself!
• The fear of stigma can stop them doing everyday things
• For many people with mental health problems, the fear that they'll be
labelled can make them want to give up on their hopes and dreams.
Myth or Fact?
• Mental Health Problems are very rare
– Myth! 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in
any one year
• People with Mental Health Problems are violent and
unpredictable
– Myth! In fact they are more likely to be a victim of violence
• Young People find it difficult to talk about their feelings
– Fact! Nearly 3 in 4 fear the reaction of their friends
• Someone with a broken leg or in a wheelchair can ‘snap out
of it’
– Myth! And mental health difficulties are real difficulties too. It’s
not always that easy
Activity: Who has Mental Health?
• Each of the group will be provided with meta
cards which describes different types of
people/person
• Decide which of the people described has
mental health
Who Has Mental Health?
• Everyone has Mental Health in the same way
that everyone has Physical Health
• If you’re in good mental health you can:
Make the most of your potential
Cope with the ups and downs of life
Play a full part in your family, school and
amongst friends
Who Has Mental Health?
• Looking after mental health is as important
as looking after your body
• Mental health is everyone’s business
• We all have days where we struggle but
mostly these feelings pass
• Sometimes they develop into a more serious
problem
Who has Mental Health?
• Everyone is different
• Sometimes you can bounce back from a
setback
• Other times you may feel weighed down for
longer
• Your mental health can change as things
happen in your life
Signs & Symptoms
If you are experiencing any of these for more than a few
weeks you should seek advice:
• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people
• Not engaging in your usual activities
• Having low energy or no energy – flat and unmotivated
• Feeling numb, like nothing matters or can’t be bothered
with anything
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless, trapped or hopeless about the future
Signs & Symptoms
• Using alcohol or drugs
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset,
worried, or scared
• Fighting a lot with family and friends
• Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in
relationships with family or friends
• Having upsetting thoughts and memories that you can’t get out
of your head
• Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
• Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Struggling to perform daily tasks like taking care of your personal
hygiene, getting school work done or even getting to school
Activity: Risk & Resilience
• Use the Activity sheet Risk vs. Resilience
• Identify factors which can risk your mental
health or build your resilience
• Decide which side of the scales they go
Risk Factor
Or
Resilience Factor
Resilience
Activity: Resilience
• Having read the Carrots, Eggs & Coffee story
decide which you are most like
• Have a think about how you could be more
like coffee – making a bad situation better
Risk & Resilience
• People don’t develop mental health problems for
no reason.
• Risk factors are what can increase a person’s
chances of developing mental health problems.
• Risk factors include a range of stressful life events
and situations, relationships, genetic factors and
the behaviour of ourselves and others
• The more risk factors you have, the more likely you
are to develop a mental health problem.
Risk & Resilience
• Resilience factors protect us against the
possibility developing mental health
problems.
• These include genetics, situations,
relationships and many other things
• With more resilience factors in place, you
will be better at bouncing back from the
tough stuff that happens in life
Activity
RESILIENCE SCALE
Resilience Scale
The score is calculated by adding up the points.
For the interpretation of the level of resilience,
the recommendation is as follows: 13–66 = low;
67–72 = moderate; 73–91 = high.
How to Build Resilience
• Actively increasing your resilience factors
and looking after your well-being is a good
idea
• Scientific research on well-being tells us
there are 5 things we should all be doing
everyday
5 Ways to Well-Being
• Connect
• Be Active
• Take Notice
• Keep Learning
• Give
Help Available
• We should all be looking out for each other
• Most mental health difficulties are solved
within families and friendship groups
• Sometimes help is needed from a
professional
• There are a variety of levels of support
Levels of Support
Talking to friends or family if something is bothering you, (even just a small amount).
Socializing and building up your resilience (joining a youth group or arranging to get out
with your friends or alone). Making sure you do the 5 Ways to Wellbeing
Most
people
Talking to a learning mentor or IAG worker in school or asking a
parent to phone in and make the school aware. Calling a helpline or
accessing a trusted web-based service
Via GP, School Nurse Accessing therapeutic help available
etc…
More intensive therapy
maybe with medication
Inpati
ent
Very few people
Activity: What could Teddy do?
• Teddy has recently moved from Cebu to a
school in Quezon City. Teddy has struggled
to make new friends at school and in his
community. Teddy is feeling lonely and
isolated.
– What could Teddy do? What could others do?
Activity: What could Todd do?
• Todd could:
– Join a sports team or Youth Club
– Speak to a classmate
– Talk to his parents and teachers
– Keep in touch with his old mates
– Speak to a School Based CAMHS Key Worker
• Others could:
– Make an effort to make him welcome
– Include Todd in activities and at break times
– Give him suggestions about places to hang out
Activity: What could Teddy do?
• Teddy did not speak to anyone about how he was feeling. 3
months have passed and he still feels lonely and isolated. These
feelings are getting worse.
• To make things worse, Teddy’s Dad who he is very close to has
recently begun a new job where he has to work away overseas.
• At school Teddy feels different to the other kids as he talks
differently to his peers. One day the teacher called upon Teddy
to answer a question, when Teddy answered, another young
person imitated him and made fun of his accent. Now Teddy is
unwilling to participate in lessons and has withdrawn even more.
– What could Teddy do? What could others do?
Activity: What could Teddy do?
• Todd could:
– Speak to his parents & a teacher about how he feels
– Refuse to give in and make sure he keeps trying in class
– Speak to the person who imitated him in class
– Speak to a School Based Child & Adolescents Mental Health
Services Key Worker
• Others could:
– Stop imitating him & be more understanding
– Teacher could challenge people making fun of Todd
– Dad could Skype/FaceTime more
Activity: What could Teddy do?
• Todd begins to feel worthless, he doesn’t
have his Dad around to talk to and he thinks
his Mum is too busy looking after his little
sister and taking care of the house.
• Todd feels like he has no one to turn to and
has recently begun to cut his arm.
– What could Todd do? What could others do?
Activity: What could Todd do?
• Todd should:
– Speak to his Mum & Dad about how he is feeling & what he is
doing
– Try hard to stop harming himself as in the long-run it makes things
worse
– Find other ways to express his feelings & improve his well-being
– Speak to a School Based Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Services provider if any.
• Others should:
– Notice that Teddy is very low & talk to him or get him some help
(a referral to CAMHS would be a good idea)
Activity: What could Todd do?
• More time has passed, this situation has
worsened and Todd now feels hopeless and
like there is no point living. He has thought
about suicide and has begun to write a
suicide note.
– What else could Todd do? What could others
do?
Activity: What could Todd do?
• At this point, Todd needs the support of
classmates, parents, teachers and most likely
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services
• When feeling suicidal he should attend A&E
to seek urgent help
• He could also access helplines
