Mental Illness Investigated: Understanding Mental Illness
This lesson moves from brain science to the lived experience of mental illness. Students explore the four most prevalent mental health conditions affecting young people — anxiety, depression, self-harm, and eating disorders — through a structured group research and presentation activity. Each group develops a character's diary entry to explore the real day-to-day impact of their assigned condition, then presents their findings to the class.
Learning Outcomes
Outcome 1:
Define depression and anxiety and outline their prevalence
Outcome 2:
Describe the symptoms of depression and anxiety and explain how these might impact on someone's day-to-day life
Outcome 3:
Explain the most common treatments for common mental health issues
What's included
A quick look at the classroom-ready resources that come with this lesson.
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Contributing Experts
People who helped produce this lesson.
Dr Pooky Knightsmith
Pooky Knightsmith is proudly autistic, with a PhD in Psychological Medicine from the Institute of Psychiatry, and a parent to neurodivergent children. She translates research into clear, practical strategies for schools and families—no jargon, just ideas you can use tomorrow. Things to Know About Pooky:
- I’m unapologetically autistic and have a history of mental health challenges: My courses come from lived experience, not just theory.
- I’ve got a PhD in Psychology: Expect evidence-based tips—no jargon, just clear, practical ideas.
- I’m a parent to neurodivergent children: I know firsthand what really makes a difference at home and in the classroom.
- I’m happiest riding through forests on the back of a tandem: Nature keeps me grounded—and that calm and wonder carries into all of my work.
- Great adults helped Little Pooky find her way: Now my mission is to empower a new generation of amazing adults to support the Little Pookys in your world.
Lucy Bailey
Lucy Bailey is Founder of Bounce Forward and Healthy Minds for Parents. With two decades of experience in mental resilience and emotional wellbeing, and training 1000s of teachers, parents and other adults around children and young people. Lucy is proud of her early career in youth work and children services. Lucy had a poor experience of school and that has driven her passion to influence UK policy to form a positive system of change with psychological fitness at the core. Lucy has directed national research projects (including the Healthy Minds five year study), is certified by University of Pennsylvania, has an MSc in Practice Based Research, a BSc in Social Policy and Criminology, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education. Her published book Raise Resilience: Teach your teenager well has led to the creation of the Psychological Fitness Nana bridging old school wisdom with modern psychology for parents of the 21st century.
About the Organisation
Bounce Forward is the UK’s psychological-fitness charity.
We help children and young people — and the adults and environments around them — develop the understanding, skills and shared language to regulate, recover and adapt through challenge, change and everyday life.
Our work brings together mental resilience and emotional wellbeing, shifting the focus upstream: building capability before crisis, rather than waiting for something to go wrong. We translate evidence from psychology, resilience research, cognitive behavioural approaches and positive psychology into practical learning that can be taught, modelled and used in real life.
From evidence-informed curricula and staff development to family support and whole-community approaches, our work recognises that young people do not develop in isolation. What happens around a young person shapes what becomes possible within them.
Everything we create is practical, grounded in evidence and designed to build something that lasts — psychologically fit people and communities, better prepared to meet life.