Mental Health- Depression

Website Search

Rationale

Adolescence is a time of many stresses, challenges and changes for young people. These can be difficult and individuals will react to these situations in different ways. Many will deal with this stage of life successfully with the help of friends and family. However some find it all to overwhelming and can't deal with it at all. This is how depression can start and unlike physical debilitations, mental illness is far harder to diagnose. It is important that students know the facts about mental illness so they can not only get help for themselves, but for others they fear may be suffering.

Stimulus Material

"Beyond Blue" Website
(Depression, 2008)

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=&gclid=CN3RoauDuJYCFQ89awodjFFUMA

Syllabus Outcomes

5.6 A student analyses attitudes, behaviours and consequences related to health issues affecting young people.

SLA

Mental Health
- Understanding mental health
- Reaching out; helping yourself and helping others

SLT

Challenge negative community perceptions of mental health and identify reasons why these have developed.

Skills

Problem Solving

Description

- Students visit the website for Beyond Blue.
- By searching through the website, they are to answer the questions provided on a seperate word document.

Q1. How many people will experience depression at some stage in their lives?

Q2. What are the different types of depression? Give a brief description of each.

Q3. List five common behaviours associated with depression

Q4. What factors put a person at risk of depression?

Q5. What are some things you can do to reduce the risk of depression?

Q6. What are some things you can do to help a friend who you think may be depressed?

Q7. Do you think there are many people living with a mental health issue who have not been diagnosed?

Q8. Why do you think so many young people are living with a mental health issue and do not get diagnosed or treated?

Q9. Why do you think mental health is thought of so negatively and not socially accepted?

Q10. What can you and the community do to promote awareness of mental heath?

Follow Up Activity

-Students are to create a mindmap of all the diferent words that they associate with mental health (weird, loners etc)
- The class then has a discussion about whether these words are appropriate and why we associate them with mental illness.