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.
About Bounce Forward
Bounce Forward provides evidenced, practical educational resources that help young people build mental resilience, emotional wellbeing, and a growth mindset.