Mental Health in Schools (MHIS)

‘Let’s Talk About Mental Health’ is a free resource for teachers and support staff who are looking to teach secondary school aged students about mental health and emotional wellbeing. This resource provides a comprehensive set of 7 modules linked to the KS3 PSHE recommended curriculum content regarding mental health and wellbeing. It may well also be of value for older students, such as those in KS4, who would benefit from revision of important themes and strategies.

The resource content is structured around a psychoeducational model, which seeks to build students’ knowledge and understanding regarding their mental health and that of others whilst also strengthening their practical skills and strategies in coping with mental health challenges. It is both reactive and proactive. It directly offers self-help support for any student who may be struggling with their mental health, whilst also looking to enhance general emotional wellbeing and resilience to help buffer against the potential negative impact of future life stressors.

The Modules

About the modules

Each module is centred around a different aspect of mental health and emotional wellbeing, and contains:

a PowerPoint slide presentation for use in delivering session content,
activities and resources to share with the students to help promote learning and understanding,
a teacher’s lesson plan to help establish aims and objectives for the session,
and a teacher guidance document, to strengthen teacher knowledge and confidence in delivering the session.

Whilst some might find it helpful to deliver all 7 sessions consecutively, others may wish to choose a particular module to focus upon as a ‘stand-alone’ module. The resource has been designed to be flexible to allow schools and teachers to ‘pick and choose’ a module depending upon their students’ current needs and to complement existing PSHE provision within their school.

Additionally, the module content is broken down into ‘shorter session content’ as well as an ‘extended session content’. This helps to support a school in implementing regular ‘brief chunks’ of teaching across a term, rather than struggling to find a longer teaching session within a busy student timetable.

The content is informed by the PSHE Association document ‘Programme of Study for PSHE Education Key Stages 1 – 5’ document with particular reference to Core Theme 1 linked to mental health and wellbeing.

Module 1: Exploring Mental Health and Stigma

You can find all the materials for the Exploring Mental Health and Stigma module in the Module 1 folder. This folder contains the following:

Developing a mental health toolkit worksheets.
Teacher documents (including lesson plans, slides, and guidance)
Handouts and posters
Student activity resources

This module is free to download and use, but please provide us with feedback if you do so.

Module 2: Managing Stress and Anxiety

You can find all the materials for the Managing Stress and Anxiety module in the Module 2 folder. This folder contains the following:

Developing a mental health toolkit worksheets.
Teacher documents (including lesson plans, slides, and guidance)
Handouts and posters
Student activity resources

This module is free to download and use, but please provide us with feedback if you do so.

Module 3: Understanding Depression and Low Mood

You can find all the materials for the Understanding Depression and Low Mood module in the Module 3 folder. This directory contains the following:

Developing a mental health toolkit worksheets.
Teacher documents (including lesson plans, slides, and guidance)
Handouts and posters
Student activity resources

This module is free to download and use, but please provide us with feedback if you do so.

Module 4: Developing a Healthy Relationship with Food and Recognising Helpful Coping Strategies

You can find all the materials for the Developing a Healthy Relationship with Food and Recognising Helpful Coping Strategies module in the Module 4 folder. This folder contains the following:

Developing a mental health toolkit worksheets.
Teacher documents (including lesson plans, slides, and guidance)
Handouts and posters
Student activity resources

This module is free to download and use, but please provide us with feedback if you do so.

Module 5: Strengthening Emotional Resilience

You can find all the materials for the Strengthening Emotional Resilience module in the Module 5 folder. This directory contains the following:

Developing a mental health toolkit worksheets.
Teacher documents (including lesson plans, slides, and guidance)
Handouts and posters
Student activity resources

This module is free to download and use, but please provide us with feedback if you do so.

Module 6: Building Self-esteem and Confidence

You can find all the materials for the Building Self-esteem and Confidence module in the Module 6 folder. This directory contains the following:

Developing a mental health toolkit worksheets.
Teacher documents (including lesson plans, slides, and guidance)
Handouts and posters
Student activity resources

This module is free to download and use, but please provide us with feedback if you do so.

Module 7: Actioning my Psychological Tool-Kit

You can find all the materials for the Actioning my Psychological Tool-Kit module in the Module 7 folder. This directory contains the following:

Developing a mental health toolkit worksheets.
Teacher documents (including lesson plans, slides, and guidance)
Handouts and posters
Student activity resources

This module is free to download and use, but please provide us with feedback if you do so.

General resources, posters, and leaflets

You can find additional posters and leaflets in the general resources folder.

Feedback

It is vitally important that teachers and school staff can provide feedback on their experience of using the resource and its impact within the classroom with students. Please complete the short anonymous feedback form for each module you complete. This will allow the authors of the resource to better understand its impact and reflect upon any valuable suggestions and recommendations regarding how the resource could continue to be improved and further developed.

Completing a feedback form should not take a lot of time, 5 – 10 minutes, and will provide the authors of this resource with invaluable information to help support the important ongoing research of the Psychology Department within the University of York. You will need to review and confirm questions relating to consent before you can proceed with providing feedback.

Development

‘Let’s Talk about Mental Health’ was informed by statutory guidance for teaching about physical health, mental health and emotional wellbeing within secondary schools in the UK. The development of this new resource was led by Dr Melanie Forster, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with significant experience of working in child and family mental health services, who also holds an academic post in the Psychology Department at the University of York.

This new version was launched in 2023, following a pilot across a small number of schools within North Yorkshire during 2021 and 2022. The pilot findings provided invaluable feedback on both strengthening its content and considering greater flexibility in how it could be delivered within a busy secondary school context. The new version built upon an initial online teaching resource, ‘Head-ED’ which had been developed some years earlier through a ‘Mental Health in Schools (MHIS)’ project led by the Centre for Chronic Diseases and Disorders, University of York and Wellcome Trust.

Importance

In recent years there has been growing concern expressed regarding the increasing prevalence of mental health challenges experienced in children and young people. Schools play a key role in helping protect and better support the mental health needs of students and the statutory guidance for teaching health education highlights this. It recognises the close relationship between the physical health and mental health of students, and the unique impact schools can have in empowering young people to develop greater self-awareness regarding their own needs whilst implementing more effective coping strategies.

Through dedicated mental health and emotional wellbeing teaching, students can become more confident in openly reflecting upon mental health issues. Within guided teaching sessions they develop a language to better express their thoughts and emotions, and in doing so help break down barriers and reduce discrimination and stigma. Importantly, engaging in mental health teaching can help to promote a more caring and empathic culture within student groups. It provides an opportunity to consider the range of help and support available within the school community for students and increase the likelihood struggling students will seek support earlier.

A survey of 11 to 16 year olds with a probable mental health disorder reported feeling less safe in school (61.2% felt safe) compared with those unlikely to have mental health struggles (89.2% felt safe). They were also less likely to report enjoying learning or having a friend they could turn to for support.

(NHS Digital, 2022, Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022 - Wave 3 Follow up data)

Contact

If you would like to find out more about the resource or for general enquiries, please contact: Dr Melanie Forster melanie.forster@york.ac.uk

Acknowledgements

Many people have been involved in the development of this new teaching resource, including students from the Department of Psychology at the University of York. Grateful thanks go to Aaron, Brianne, Charlotte, Colm, Darcie, Ella, Ellen, Graidey, Henrietta, Lauren, Libby, Millie, Nicoleta, Phillipa, Sophie, and Zoe.