Biological influences on mental health
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe a range of physical health factors that may influence mental health.
Key learning points
- Puberty and menopause can affect mental health.
- Infertility and chronic illness can affect mental health for many members of a family unit.
- Postnatal depression can affect parents, and it can begin many months after giving birth.
- Looking after our bodies cannot always avoid periods of low mental health - this is no one's fault.
Keywords
Biological - related to living things and life processes
Stigma - being judged or treated unfairly just because of a particular characteristic, situation or condition, like having a mental health condition
Support - the actions taken to help someone who is in a difficult or dangerous situation, such as providing care and seeking medical attention
Common misconception
Mental health and physical health are not linked.
Mental health and physical health are closely linked. When our body feels strong, our mind tends to feel strong too.
Teacher tip
This lesson touches upon many challenging scenarios, including postnatal depression and chronic illness. Ensure that you're aware as far as possible of any triggering circumstances amongst your pupils before delivering the lesson. Provide clear signposting to further support as needed.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the following words to the correct definitions.
the health of our minds and emotions
the ability to understand and share the feelings of another
professional help given to improve someone's physical or mental health
Q2.Which of the following statements are true?
Q3.Poor mental health can impact a person's ...
Q4.Complete the following sentence starters with the correct ending.
their family, friends and community.
can help to improve mental health.
can live contented, meaningful lives with support and treatment.
talk to a trusted adult if you're concerned about mental health.
Q5.It is 'normal' for emotions to ...
Q6.Which of the following statements are true?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the following words to the correct definitions.
related to living things and life processes
being judged because of a characteristic, situation or condition
actions taken to help someone in a difficult or dangerous situation
Q2.Which of the following statements are true?
Q3.Which of the following biological changes might lead to poor mental health?
Q4.Match the following sentence starters to the correct endings.
affect anyone, at any time.
can help to reduce the stigma around mental health.
body produces endorphins which boost mood.
mind is likely to feel strong too.
Q5. and chronic illness can affect mental health for many members of a family unit.
Q6.Which of the following statements are false?
To help you plan your 11 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Biological influences on mental health, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Biological influences on mental health, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 RSHE (PSHE) lessons from the Mental health: How might my mental health change? unit, dive into the full secondary RSHE (PSHE) curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.