2. MENTAL HEALTH 101
What is it?
Cognitive &
Emotional well Coping with life
being
Being able to
function in day to
day life

3. MENTAL HEALTH 101
Why is it important?

4. SELF AWARENESS

5. INTERACTION WITH OTHERS

6. DEALING WITH LIFE SITUATIONS

7. Your mental health defines your life
…So what happens when it goes wrong?

8. Mental Health 101: Grey Area
Here’s the problem:
When someone breaks a bone or has some other physical injury, it’s
much easier to notice and treat.

9. However…
When an individual has a mental health issue, it’s a lot more difficult
to observe, and even more so to treat
How do we address this?

10. SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
1 in 4 people develop mental health problems.
The third leading cause of death in the 15-25 year old group is suicide.
The fourth leading cause of death in 10-14 year olds is suicide.
90% of these teens had a diagnosable mental illness, depression being
the most common.
Statistics provided by UNICEF

11. SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
Only 14% of young people who committed suicide where in touch with
mental health services (longitudinal study between 1997-2003 by
Wiley-Blackwell).
In 2009, there was a total of 5675 registered suicides in the UK.

12. MENTAL HEALTH CLASSES
Within an educational context
There are currently no mental health classes included in the national school
curriculum.
Implementing such classes is vital in secondary school.
Aims
Developing a more understanding community, in and out of
schools, by removing the stigma of mental illness.
Give teens the tools to understand what they feel; give
potential skills in identifying when a classmate or a friend
isn’t doing well

13. MENTAL HEALTH CLASSES
Format
Adopt similar structure to Health Classes – interactive based.
Presentations facilitate the communication of available
resources to those that need them
Regular classes- not just a one off!

14. MENTAL HEALTH CLASSES
Content
Available resources: websites, leaflets, phonelines
Suggested “Plan of Action”
Study of the most common mental illnesses in teens
Depression, schizophrenia, Bipolar, Eating disorders

15. THE INNOVATIVE IDEA
Fighting Ignorance through Education
Promote understanding and awareness of Mental Health
Facilitate communication of available resources
Develop an environment and community where the
stigma of mental illness is removed
Help sufferers of mental illness, from the young
to the old, understand that they’re not
alone, and give them the freedom to improve
their condition.