Lesson ideas

Destigmatising mental health difficulties

Those in mental health fields see the stigmatisation of mental illness as one of the key reasons that many people do not seek professional help when they are experiencing mental health difficulties.

This section of the website explores the issue of destigmatisation and how teachers can address stigma through classroom activities.

Follow the links below for more information and ideas for lesson activities.

Destigmatising mental health - the facts

Fact sheet

This fact sheet presents some facts about the nature of mental illness amongst young people as well as some ideas on how to reduce stigma in your school community.

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Developing mental health literacy skills

Lesson activity

This activity is from the Heads Up: Skills for Life resource and supports students to develop skills in using the Internet as a source of information for seeking help.

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Mental wellness as a continuum

Lesson activities

This section outlines an introductory activity that can be used to explore the dynamic nature of mental wellness. The activity includes powerpoint slides and cards that can be printed off to be used for a continuum activity.

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Mental health is not a dirty word

Blog post

We here at the Teachers Network think that its about time we had a bit more of a conversation about what mental health actually is. Check out this blog post and join the discussion.

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Mental health myth busters

Lesson activity

This activity explores some of the common myths or negative perceptions held by some in the community about people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. This is one of the activities from the Heads Up: Skills for Life resource.

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