Lesson video

Hello, my name's Miss Willow and I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called Support for Mental Health across our Lifetime, and it fits into the unit, "Mental Health: How might my mental health change?" During this lesson, we are going to be talking about mental health issues, so for this lesson, we require you to have an adult with you.

If at any point you do feel worried or uncomfortable, it's really important that you stop the lesson and that you speak to a trusted adult.

Okay, let's make a start.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe different sources of mental health support available and you'll be able to explain how to access them.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go over some ground rules.

These help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

First of all, Laura reminds us that we need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should always listen properly before we make any assumptions about someone else or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, it's important to challenge the statement and not the person themselves.

Next, Andeep says that we need to respect each other's privacy.

It's okay to discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that could identify anyone including ourselves.

If we want to share a story or an experience, we can refer to someone as my friend.

This means that we're able to share without giving away any identifying information.

Next, Izzy says that we can choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with discussion, and we should never put anyone on the spot as this can make some people feel uncomfortable.

And finally, Jacob reminds us that we need to not have any judgment.

It's okay to explore any beliefs or misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged by others.

We're now going to take a look at the keywords for today's lesson.

Our first keyword today is support.

This is the actions taken to help someone who's in a difficult or dangerous situation such as providing care and seeking medical attention.

Next, we have therapy.

In this context, this means professional support to help people work through difficulties to improve their mental health and develop coping skills.

And next, we have AI chatbot.

This is computer software powered by artificial intelligence or AI that simulates conversations and interacts with human users.

Today's lesson is split into three learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called, When Can We Seek Support for mental health? Our second learning cycle is called, What Types of Mental Health Support Are There? And our last learning cycle is called, How Can We Choose and Seek Mental Health Support? Let's make a start on our first learning cycle.

When can we seek support for mental health? Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, and it's really important that we remember this.

Dr.

Elsie says that in the same way that we should look after our physical health, for instance, through healthy eating and regular exercise, it's also really important that we look after our mental health too.

Even if we try to look after ourselves, it's natural to experience poor health from time to time.

Dr.

Elsie says that at some point, most of us will get a cough, a cold, or a stomach upset.

Sometimes we might need to seek support from a GP so a doctor for advice or treatment.

Similarly, there may be periods of poor mental health in our life and we shouldn't be afraid to seek support in the same way that we would for physical health problems. Support for mental health can be sought whenever we are experiencing poor mental health or if we're just worried about our mental health and our ability to cope.

Dr.

Elsie says that support for mental health isn't just available for when we experience big life events or a crisis.

It's there for whenever we have poor mental health or are worried about our wellbeing.

If life feels more of a struggle than usual or we're finding it hard to cope with normal everyday stresses, we might need to seek support from someone else.

For example, a medical professional.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Is this statement true or false: we can only seek support for mental health when we're experiencing big life events or a crisis? What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video.

Talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why? You might have said that support for mental health isn't just available for when we experience big life events or a personal crisis.

It's there for whenever we have poor mental health or are worried about our mental wellbeing.

Well done if your answer was something like this.

Jack says, a few months ago I noticed that I was starting to feel more irritable than usual.

I decided to talk to the pastoral lead at my school and he gave me some advice on mindfulness techniques, which really helped.

Mindfulness techniques help us to feel more present in the moment by focusing on our breathing.

Chloe says, my confidence and self-esteem took a knock when I wasn't selected for the school football team this season.

I decided to chat to my school nurse and she was able to put me in touch with a counselor to help.

David says, I experienced some discrimination online last year, which upset me and made me feel anxious.

Instead of keeping it to myself, I told my parents and they were able to help me report the content and block the sender.

They also helped me find additional support for dealing with the emotional impact.

Isaac says last month we had mock exams and I noticed that I was getting really stressed out about them.

I decided to track to my form tutor and she helped me to plan a revision timetable so that I was more organized and this helped me to feel more prepared.

These are all examples of different ways that we can seek support for our mental health.

Maybe you want to have a think about who you would access support from if you needed help with your mental health.

We're now going to do a check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to decide if you agree or disagree with Sophia.

Sophia says, I fell out with a friend a while ago.

They said some unkind things that have knocked my self-esteem and are keeping me awake at night.

I know I shouldn't speak to an adult about something so small though.

What do you think? Do you agree or do you disagree with Sophia? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that you disagree with Sophia.

Sophia's sleep and self-esteem issues show that this is affecting her wellbeing.

She should speak to a trusted adult, like a school counselor, a teacher, or her GP if she feels comfortable.

Friendship conflicts can have real impacts on mental health and deserve support.

Early support can help us to address everyday concerns.

Dr.

Elsie asks us to imagine a small rip in an item of clothing.

It's easier to stitch it up before the tear gets bigger and causes more damage.

Similarly, seeking early support for poor mental health can prevent the situation from escalating and reduce the impact on our mental health.

Early support might include something like talking therapy.

Many forms of talking therapy are available to support mental health concerns such as someone experiencing depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder, often called PTSD.

Number one is cognitive behavioral therapy, often called CBT.

This is a form of therapy which helps a person to identify and challenge patterns of negative thoughts and behaviors that could be having a negative impact on their mental health.

Number two is counseling.

This is where a trained professional called a counselor listens to a person as they explore their thoughts and their feelings and they provide helpful ways to deal with emotional concerns.

Number three is guided self-help.

This is based on CBT and this is where a trained professional guides individuals through self-help material such as an online course or a self-help workbook.

Next, we have interpersonal therapy or IPT or Dynamic interpersonal therapy, DIT.

IPT is a form of therapy which works towards helping individuals to identify issues within their relationships, and DIT is a similar concept which further explores past experiences.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing so far.

Which of the following are forms of talking therapy: A, Cognitive behavioral therapy, often called CBT; B, Hypnotherapy; C, Guided self-help or D, interpersonal therapy or IPT? Which of those are forms of talking therapy? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that A, C and D are correct.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, guided self-help and interpersonal therapy are all forms of talking therapy.

Well done if you got this right.

Talking therapy is a confidential and effective early support service.

It can be accessed for free through the NHS.

Dr.

Elsie says that an individual doesn't need to be diagnosed with a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety in order to access talking therapy and it is possible to self-refer.

This means that you can refer yourself to the treatment without having to speak to a doctor.

There are some services that are available that treat 16 and 17 year olds, but this does need to be checked directly with the service provider to make sure that this is appropriate and available.

Let's do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

Some support such as talking therapies can be accessed by self-referrals and without a diagnosis.

What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is true.

We are now moving on to your first practice task and you can put all of your learning so far into practice.

I'd like you to answer the following questions.

Number one, when can we seek support for mental health? Number two, what are the benefits of early support.

And number three, what is talking therapy? I'd like you to answer those questions and then we'll go through some model answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's have a look and see what you might have said.

For question number one, when could we seek support for mental health? You might have said something like Support for mental health can be sought whenever we are experiencing poor mental health and not just when we experience big life events or a crisis.

Number two, what are the benefits of early support? You might have said that seeking early support for poor mental health can prevent the situation from escalating and reduce the overall impact on our wellbeing.

Number three, what is talking therapy? You might have said something like talking therapy is a confidential and effective early support service, which can be accessed for free through the NHS, including through self-referral.

Some talking therapy services do accept 16 to 17 year olds directly, though availability should be checked with individual services that you are contacting.

Types of talking therapy include CBT, counseling, guided Self-Help, interpersonal therapy, or DIT.

Well done if your answers for anything like this.

It's now time to move on to our second learning cycle and well done for your hard work so far.

Our next learning cycle is called, What types of mental health support are there? As well as the early support that talking therapy can offer, there are many other types of support available for a range of mental health needs.

Dr.

Elsie says that there is no one size fits all when it comes to finding support for mental health.

The type of support that an individual needs will depend on the sort of mental health concerns that they have and what form of support that they would prefer.

Support may include speaking to a general practitioner or GP.

Talking to a GP is a good place to start when seeking support for mental health.

They can offer initial advice, provide medication if required, or refer to specialist services.

Number two, helplines.

There are many organizations, for instance, the Samaritans that offer confidential support 24/7 over the telephone or via text.

Number three, support may include charities and community organizations.

Many charities offer free resources on their websites or low cost workshops online or in person.

Number four, peer support groups.

These are groups where people share similar experiences of mental health to form connections and provide support to one another.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing with this learning cycle.

Which of the following offers confidential support 24/7 over the telephone or via text? A, the GP; B, helplines; or C, peer support groups? Which of those offers confidential support 24/7 over the phone or via text? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that helplines was correct.

Helplines offer confidential support 24/7 over the telephones or via text, but it's important to check with each individual helpline to see what times they are available and how you can contact them.

Well done if you got this right.

We're now going to talk a little bit about technology and how this can support our mental health.

As technology continues to advance, the use of online apps and AI chatbots is emerging as a way to support people's mental health.

Many people are turning to these technologies because they're often free and available immediately.

They can provide guided meditation and mindfulness, help people to journal or track their moods, and they can simulate conversational support.

Whilst technology can provide support for mental health 24/7, it should be used cautiously.

This means that we need to be really careful.

Dr.

Elsie says that it's important to remember that AI chatbots shouldn't replace human therapists.

They're unable to understand the complex emotions that people have and they lack human empathy.

It's also vital to consider how our data and our responses might be used potentially without us being aware.

If you're using AI chatbots because of cost or waiting times, speak to a trusted adult about accessing free human support services that may be available to you.

Human therapists and counselors are highly trained to support people with mental health problems in all its complexities.

And Dr.

Elsie reminds us that for this reason, AI chatbots are not appropriate for the treatment or support of severe or chronic mental health conditions.

We're now going to talk a little bit about support for specific needs.

Some mental health concerns may require more specialized or specific support.

Dr.

Elsie says that in some situations, for instance, with addiction, eating disorders or bereavement, more specialized support might be needed.

People in these situations may need to be referred to certain teams of professionals that are specifically trained in those areas of need.

We're now going to talk about support for severe or long-term mental health.

If mental health concerns are severe or long-term, more structured support might be needed.

Dr.

Elsie says that depending on the severity of mental health concerns, some people may be offered more structured support.

This could include help from community mental health services or rehabilitation services.

We are now going to do a check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

AI chatbots are appropriate replacements for human therapists.

What do you think? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why? You might have said that AI chatbots are not appropriate replacements for human therapists because they're unable to understand complex emotions and lack human empathy.

Well done if you had this or something similar.

It's now time to move on to our second practice task and well done for your hard work so far.

I'd like you to fill in the type of support that's described in the table here.

We have the descriptions of the types of support available, and I'd like you to name the type of support that it's referring to.

Here's what our descriptions look like.

Number one, confidential support 24/7 over the telephone or via text.

Number two, simulate conversational support.

Number three, offer free resources on website or low cost workshops.

Number four, offer initial advice and refer to specialist support services.

And number five, people share similar experiences to support each other.

Can you fill in the type of support that's described in the table? Pause the video and we'll go through what your table should look like in a few minutes.

Okay, your completed table should look a bit like this.

You should have helplines a confidential support 24/7 over the telephone or via text.

AI Chatbots simulate conversational support.

Charities and community organizations offer free resources on their website or low-cost workshops.

The GP offers initial advice and refers to specialist support services and peer support groups are people that share similar experiences to support each other.

Well done if your table looked like this.

We're now moving on to our final learning cycle, how can we choose and seek mental health support? With so many different forms of support available for mental health, knowing how to choose and access help can be challenging.

Dr.

Elsie says that we can start by self-reflecting and asking ourselves some basic questions.

Is our mental health a concern because of something short term or long term? And is our mental health impacting our ability to carry out day-to-day activities? So maybe this is looking after our bodies, going to work or going to school.

Your GP can be a helpful source of information and support.

Dr.

Elsie says to try to be open and honest about how you're feeling.

GPs are there to listen and offer support without judgment.

Not only can they give advice, but they can also make referrals to specialist organizations if necessary.

You can also research your options online.

Dr.

Elsie says that many reliable websites such as the NHS website provide information about mental health conditions and available support services.

It's important to always use trusted, validated websites and avoid advice from chat forums or other unverified sources.

It's important to choose what's right for you and your mental health needs.

Dr.

Elsie says that everyone is different and support that suits one person might not suit another or be helpful for them.

It's okay to try different things until you find what works best for you.

Above all, it's important to ensure that the support services you use are qualified, regulated, and have a good reputation.

You can also speak to a trusted adult to ask them for support.

Dr.

Elsie says that no one should have to struggle with their mental health alone.

If you're worried about your own or someone else's mental health, it's important to talk to a trusted adult such as a parent, carer or teacher.

If you're not listened to the first time you ask for help, keep asking until you are heard, even if this means talking to a different adult.

Let's do another check for understanding.

What's missing from the list of ways to choose and seek the right mental health support: self-reflect, make an informed choice and speak to a trusted adult? What's missing from the list of ways to choose and seek the right mental health support? Pause the video, talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the missing ways are speak to a GP and do some research.

It's now time to move on to our final practice task.

I'd like you to read the scenario below and think about what advice would you give this person.

This person says, I'm too afraid to talk to my GP about my mental health in case they judge me.

Instead, I've been talking to someone on social media who says that they've gone through a similar situation.

They've been giving me some advice on how to handle things.

Can you give advice to this person? Pause the video and we'll go through and model answer in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what your advice might have included.

You might have said something like, it's completely understandable to feel worried about judgment.

Many people do feel this way.

However, GPs are trade professionals who are there to support you without judging.

While connecting with others who've had similar experiences can be helpful, getting advice from strangers online isn't safe as we can't verify who they really are or if their advice is appropriate for your situation.

You could start by speaking to a school counselor or another trusted adult who could help you to feel more confident about seeing your GP.

Well done if your answer was anything like this.

We are now going to summarize the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that support for mental health can be sought whenever we are experiencing poor mental health or when we're concerned about our wellbeing.

Early support such as talking therapy can prevent situations from escalating and reduce the impacts on our wellbeing.

Types of support can include speakings with GP, helplines, charities, peer support groups, online apps, and AI chatbots.

However, AI chatbots should only be used with caution.

Some concerns may require more specific or structured support, for example, from a specialist.

We can self-reflect research or speak to a trusted adult to make an informed choice about the mental health support that we need.

During today's lesson, you might have found that you've got some worries or questions, and if you do, it's really important that you share these for the trusted adult.

There's also some resources on the screen that are there to help you too.

Well done for your hard work today.

I hope to see you in another lesson soon.