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  • Year 11

Fluctuating mental health

I can explain what influences mental health over a lifetime.

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View unit
Lesson 1 of 4
New
New
  • Year 11

Fluctuating mental health

I can explain what influences mental health over a lifetime.

Download all
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. You can experience a range of emotions while having good mental health.
  2. Mental health fluctuates across a lifetime.
  3. Big life events can affect mental health.
  4. Substance abuse and addiction can affect mental health, as well as being a sign of poor mental health.
  5. Online content can have long-lasting effects on mental health, and some of it promotes harmful behaviour.

Keywords

  • Mental health - the health of our minds and emotions

  • Substance abuse - using drugs or alcohol harmfully, hurting health, relationships or daily life in ways hard to control

Common misconception

Generally, a person's mental health tends to stay the same throughout their lifetime.

Each person’s mental health can fluctuate both day-to-day and across their lifetime. The type of support that they might need can also change over time.


To help you plan your year 11 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Fluctuating mental health, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This is a sensitive topic and pupils will have different experiences of mental health. It's important to use considered language and ensure that pupils are clearly signposted to further support where necessary.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following words to their correct definition.

Correct Answer:anxiety,a state of unease, worry or nervousness about uncertain outcomes

a state of unease, worry or nervousness about uncertain outcomes

Correct Answer:stressed,feeling overwhelmed, anxious or pressured when facing challenges

feeling overwhelmed, anxious or pressured when facing challenges

Correct Answer:support,actions taken to help someone in a difficult or dangerous situation

actions taken to help someone in a difficult or dangerous situation

Q2.
Which of the following statements are true?

Mental health conditions are always due to people not looking after themselves.
Correct answer: Mental health conditions can affect anyone.
Mental health is not as important as physical health.
Correct answer: Mental health is just as important as physical health.
Correct answer: It is not a person's fault if they suffer with a mental health condition.

Q3.
Which of the following are examples of self-care strategies that could improve mental health?

Correct answer: getting regular exercise
spending all our spare time online
drinking more caffeine instead of water
Correct answer: eating a healthy diet
Correct answer: connecting with other people

Q4.
is a mental health condition characterised by a persistent feeling of sadness, and a loss of interest that affects how you think and feel.

Correct Answer: Depression

Q5.
If anyone has been struggling with their mental health for a long period of time, it would be a good idea to ...

Correct answer: make an appointment with a GP
spend more time alone
Correct answer: talk to a trusted adult
ignore their feelings as they'll soon pass

Q6.
Which of the following could negatively impact a person's mental health?

Correct answer: online bullying
Correct answer: stress
positive self-esteem
confident body image
Correct answer: discrimination

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following words to the correct definitions.

Correct Answer:mental health,the health of our minds and emotions

the health of our minds and emotions

Correct Answer:emotions,feelings we have inside, like happiness, sadness or anger

feelings we have inside, like happiness, sadness or anger

Correct Answer:substance abuse,using drugs or alcohol harmfully in ways that are hard to control

using drugs or alcohol harmfully in ways that are hard to control

Q2.
Mental health is how well we feel emotionally, and socially.

physically
hormonally
Correct answer: psychologically
neurologically

Q3.
Which of the following statements are true?

A person's mental health tends to stay the same throughout their lifetime.
Correct answer: A person's mental health fluctuates both day-to-day and across their lifetime.
Correct answer: Good mental health means that we might feel calm and content inside.
Good mental health means we're unable to cope with normal stresses.

Q4.
Even if we have good mental health, we can still experience a range of ...

Correct Answer: emotions, feelings

Q5.
Which of the following could have a negative effect on mental health?

getting plenty of sleep and regular exercise
Correct answer: substance abuse
Correct answer: excessive time on social media
Correct answer: big life events, such as grief and loss
connecting with people face to face

Q6.
Which of the statements below are false?

Correct answer: If we're struggling with mental health, we should keep it to ourselves.
If we're struggling with mental health, we should speak to a trusted adult.
If we're not heard straight away, we should keep asking for help.
Correct answer: All online content can help to promote healthy behaviour.
Correct answer: If a person has poor mental health, it's because they've done something wrong.