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

Today's lesson is called "Seeking Mental Health Advice," and it fits into the unit "Staying Safe and Healthy, How Do I Use the Healthcare System?" During this lesson, we're going to be talking about serious mental health concerns, so we've required you to have an adult with you for the duration of this lesson.

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

Okay, let's make a start.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain where to go for physical and mental health advice, and how to assess what is appropriate for your needs.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go over some ground rules just to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

Laura says that we need to listen to others.

"It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before we make any assumptions 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." Andeep says, "We need to respect each other's privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves." If we want to share a story or an experience, we can choose to refer to someone as my friend instead.

This means that we're not going to give away any identifying information.

Izzy says that, "We can choose our level of participation.

This means that 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." And finally, Jacob says that we shouldn't have any judgement.

"We can explore any beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged." We're now going to have a look at our key words in today's lesson.

First of all, we have mental health.

This means the health of our minds and emotions.

Next, we have self-referral.

In this context, this means when a person seeks support without needing a professional to refer them.

Next, we have CAMHS.

This stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, the NHS service that supports young people up to their 18th birthday with their mental health.

And finally, we have trusted.

This means a person or organisation that's reliable, safe, and honest, and we can believe their advice.

Today's lesson is split into two learning cycles.

By the end of the first learning cycle, we'll be able to answer the question, "Where can someone access mental health support?" And by the end of the second learning cycle, we'll be able to answer the question, "How do I know if advice is trustworthy?" Let's make a start on our first learning cycle.

Where can someone access mental health support? Dr.

Elsie says that, "Looking after our mental health is important because it impacts how we think, feel, and behave.

It also affects how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices." Our mental health and physical health are closely connected.

If we have regular exercise, good sleep, and a balanced diet, this leads to better physical health.

Better physical health leads to increased energy and improved functioning of the body, and it reduces stress hormones too.

This supports mental health and wellbeing, and this leads to better focus and resilience, reduced anxiety, and higher self-esteem.

All of these things mean that we have more motivation to maintain healthy habits, which makes it a lot easier to exercise regularly, sleep well, and have a balanced diet.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "If you start to feel particularly tired without explanation, experience a lack of motivation, or have an unexplained feeling of sadness, these could all be a sign of a change in your mental health.

It might be that you stop having an interest in the things that you normally enjoy.

You have a reluctance to spend time with people, or perhaps you're experiencing a persistent change in mood that you can't explain.

If you experience any of these feelings, it's really important that you speak to a trusted adult to ask about how you get support." Let's do a check for understanding.

Is this statement true or false? Physical and mental health are different, they're not connected.

What do you think, is this true or false? Pause the video, discuss this with 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 something like, "Physical and mental health are closely linked.

Good sleep, a balanced diet, and exercise can build resilience and improve our focus.

This supports our mental health and wellbeing, and encourages us to maintain healthy habits." Well done if you said this, or something similar.

Andeep asks a really good question.

He asks, "Where can I go if I've concerns about my mental health?" Dr.

Elsie says that, "There are many places that can help with mental health.

The most important thing is that you speak to someone that you trust and that is reliable." Andeep asks, "Should I just talk to my friends if I'm worried?" Dr.

Elsie says that, "Talking to a trusted friend is a really good first step, but it shouldn't be the only step that we take if we're worried about our mental health.

Serious issues need trusted adults or expert mental health support too.

You can make an appointment with a GP, or make a self-referral." Sam says, "My friend has been really down lately and keeps messaging me late at night about feeling hopeless.

I want to help, but I don't know what to do." Dr.

Elsie says that, "It's wonderful that you want to support your friend, but it's important to remember that you're not responsible for fixing their problems. Being a good friend means knowing when to get help from trusted adults." It can be really difficult to support friends with mental health concerns, but these are some ways that we can help.

We can listen without trying to solve everything.

Sometimes people just need to be heard.

We can encourage them to talk to a trusted adult, or we could offer to go with them if that would help them.

We can continue to be a good friend.

We don't need to treat them any differently.

We can still invite them to normal activities, but we shouldn't react unkindly if they don't want to join in, or if they don't want to do the same things that you used to do together.

It's important to look after yourself too, as supporting someone else can be difficult.

And it's important to set healthy boundaries.

You don't have to be available 24/7.

It's important to know when to involve trusted adults.

We should involve trusted adults if your friend talks about harming themselves or others, if they're engaging in really dangerous or risky behaviour, if you're feeling overwhelmed by trying to help them.

Remember, you can't fix someone else's mental health.

Professional support is sometimes needed, especially if someone is talking about harming themselves or others, if they're engaging in dangerous behaviour, or if you're feeling overwhelmed by trying to support them.

It's okay to say, "I care about you, but I think you need to talk to a trusted adult who can help more than I can." Sam says, "But what if they made me promise to not to tell anyone?" Dr.

Elsie says that, "If someone's at risk of harm, that's when promises need to be broken in order to keep someone safe.

A real friend gets help when it's needed, even if it feels uncomfortable." Let's do another check for understanding.

Your friend is struggling with their mental health, and asks you to promise not to tell anyone what's going on.

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

Your answer could have included something like, "You could explain that you care about them, but if they're at risk of harm, you might need to get help from trusted adults.

Real friendship sometimes means getting professional support." Well done if you had this, or something similar.

There are many ways to access support for mental health advice.

You can do a self-referral.

This means that you can ask for help without needing a GP, or having someone else to refer you.

You can self-refer by finding an appropriate service, which is normally the NHS.

You can fill in an online form, or by calling the service directly.

They may ask for more information about your feelings and the symptoms you are experiencing.

You can also self-refer by arranging an initial assessment or support session.

You can also speak to someone in school, like a teacher, a pastoral lead, counsellor, or a Designated Safeguarding Lead, often called a DSL.

Seeking support from someone in school means that they can give advice and recommend places for further support.

They can help to communicate with parents or carers and other services if appropriate, and they can help to contact NHS services, such as CAMHS, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, on your behalf.

You can contact NHS services such as your GP or CAMHS.

The help available from NHS services includes matching you with the right support that you need.

CAMHS, which supports young people up to their 18th birthday, and they're specialists in working with young people.

They can also give you and your family strategies to support you at home.

You can access support in person, online, or by phone from recognised and trusted national and local charities.

You can also call NHS 111 for general advice about mental health.

Seeking support from charities means that they can offer a place for you to talk about your feelings and worries.

Seeking support from charities means that they can offer a place for you to talk about your feelings and worries.

They can provide free online or live chat support, which can often be 24 hours a day.

They can also offer practical advice and strategies.

They can also advise you on how to seek further support.

In an emergency or mental health crisis, you can contact the emergency services by calling 999.

Seeking support from NHS emergency services means that they can keep someone safe if they're at serious risk, and they can provide emergency support from mental health professionals, often within 24 hours.

Here are some key reminders when we're thinking about everything that we've just learned.

It's important to remember that mental health support doesn't end at 18.

Adult services are available throughout life.

Early intervention is always better, and it's important to not wait for a crisis to seek help.

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

Both need regular care and attention.

And you're not alone.

Many people will successfully manage mental health challenges while living fulfilling lives.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Where can you seek expert support if you're worried about your mental health? A, by talking to your friends, B, a counsellor, or C, a GP? 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 B and C are correct.

If we would like expert support, if we're worried about our mental health, we can get support from a GP or a counsellor.

Well done if you said the same thing.

It is time to move on to your practise task for this learning cycle.

I'd like you to complete the table to outline the different places that you can access mental health support, and how they can help.

Pause the video, and we'll go through the answers in a few minutes.

Okay, your completed table could look a little bit like this.

For the service, in-school support, for example, from a teacher, DSL, or counsellor, they can help by giving advice and recommending places for further support.

They can help communicate with parents and carers, and other services, and they can help contact NHS services, such CAMHS For the service, NHS services, for example a GP or CAMHS, they can match you with the right support that you need, including specialist support for young people, and they can provide you and your family with strategies to support you at home.

Online, in person, or telephone support from charities can offer a place for you to talk about your feelings and worries, and they can also offer advice and strategies and advise you how to seek further support.

And emergency services can keep someone safe if they're at serious risk.

They can provide emergency support from mental health professionals, often within 24 hours.

Well done if you got this right.

We're now moving on to our second learning cycle, "How do I know if advice is trustworthy?" Jacob says, "I want to make sure that I talk to someone who's trustworthy.

How could I be sure that I'm getting the right help?" Dr.

Elsie says that, "Getting help that is right for you is very important.

Ensuring that this comes from a credible source that matches your specific needs means that help can be given quicker and more effectively." Making sure that the support you get is from a trusted source is very important.

When looking for advice, ensure that you seek help from a qualified professional.

This could include NHS therapists and specialists, counsellors, GPs, registered charities.

A registered charity means that it's officially recognised and regulated.

If you look for advice online or on social media, make sure that this is based on research, or is advice from qualified professionals.

Unreliable advice may come as personal opinion or anecdotal stories.

This is not factual evidence, and could offer incorrect or even dangerous information.

Anecdotal stories are when people tell a personal story or a story about someone else that they know.

It's not based on research or fact.

Trusted and credible sources for advice will also provide support services that won't offer instant cures, encouragement to talk to professionals, and confidential support.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "It can be tempting to turn to social media or forums to get advice from people online.

Although it can be really reassuring to hear other people's experiences, it's important that any advice is only taken from trusted sources." For example, a GP, counsellor, or other qualified professional.

Let's do a check for understanding.

Which of the following suggests that this is a trusted source for online advice? A, it's backed up by research, B, it's written by qualified professionals, C, it's based on personal stories, or D, it offers confidentiality.

This means that what you say to them will stay private, unless you're risk of harm.

Which of the following suggests that it's a trusted source for online advice? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

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

A trusted source should be backed up by research, it should be written by qualified professionals, and it should offer confidentiality.

If something is based on a personal story, this is more likely to be an anecdote, but it shouldn't be something that we take as advice.

Well done if you said the same thing.

Warning signs of an unreliable source can include that the person giving advice isn't trained or qualified.

For example, they could be an influencer with no experience or specific qualifications.

You need to ask yourself why are they posting advice online? Is it to help, or are they looking for followers, and to boost that online presence? There's no way to verify where the advice came from, and it's not backed up or linked to UK research.

This would suggest that it's an unreliable source.

Or if the service pushes you to pay for services or products.

This would suggest that the motivation for posting online is to make money, and not to help others.

If the tone of the support is negative, judgmental, or makes you feel fearful or pressured, this is not healthy advice, or if the claims simply seem too good to be true.

For example, "Doing this one thing cured my anxiety is two days." These would also suggest that the source is unreliable.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Who is correct? A trusted source of advice is when A, someone encourages you to buy products that could help, B, you can verify and check where the information comes from, or C, someone claims that they can cure or fix the problem immediately.

Who is correct? Izzy, Jacob, or Jun? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that Jacob is correct.

A trusted source of advice is when you can verify and check where the information comes from.

Well done if you got this right.

It's time to move on to your final practise task.

Laura's cousin is looking for advice with worries about their mental health and wants to know how to find out if a personal organisation is trustworthy.

Advise Laura's cousin on how to do this.

Include an outline of the signs that might suggest someone or a site is unreliable, and an explanation of where to access trustworthy information.

Pause the video, and we'll go through some potential answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what your advice to Laura's cousin may have included.

You might have said that it's important to get mental health information and support from trusted sources.

These are normally well-known organisations or from registered charities.

You should always check if the advice is based on research or professional guidance, not just personal anecdotes or stories.

Warning signs of unreliable information might include that they push you to purchase products or services, or suggest that they can give you a quick fix.

And finally, be careful when taking advice from influencers online.

It could be that they're just offering advice to make money or to increase their online presence.

Well done if you had any of these, or if you had something similar.

We're now gonna summarise the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that mental health support comes from many trusted sources, including GPs, counsellors, CAMHS, and registered charities.

It's important to choose support that suits your individual needs.

Some people may prefer to self-refer directly to mental health services, while others might prefer to speak to trusted adults first for guidance.

Online advice should be safe and trusted.

Be cautious of individuals who lack qualifications, or who try to persuade you to purchase products or services.

It's important to support friends with mental health concerns, while setting your own healthy boundaries and knowing when to involve trusted adults, for example, if the person is engaging in dangerous or harmful behaviour.

And finally, we have learned that physical and mental health are closely linked, so looking after both is key for our overall wellbeing.

In today's lesson, you might have found that you've got some worries or questions.

If you do, it's important to share these with a 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.