MENTAL HEALTH

ISSUES and
STIGMA
Learning Objective:
THE LEARNERS IDENTIFY HIS/HER
OWN VULNERABILITIES
Activity 1: Signs of Trouble:
Depression
 TEST YOUR MOOD      YES NO
1. Do you feel sad, depressed or down most of the time?
2. Are you unable to enjoy the things that once give you pleasure?

3. Do you feel tired and/or lack energy most of the time?

4. Do you have trouble sleeping or do you sleep too much?
5. Do you find it difficult to concentrate or make decisions?
6. Have you had an increase or decrease in appetite or weight?

7. Have you had feelings of worthlessness or guilt?

 TEST YOUR MOOD      YES NO
8. Have you felt frightened or panicky for no
apparent reason at all?
9. Have you felt restless and found it
difficult to sit still?
10. Have you been feeling anxious or
worried?
11. Have you felt like you just cannot go on
or had thoughts of death or dying?
 MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Mental health problems affect 1 IN 5 YOUNG
PEOPLE at any given time.
Mental illness is 2ND only to heart disease as
the leading cause of disability worldwide.
The first symptoms of mental illness generally
appear between the ages of 15-24.
 MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
As estimated 50% of young people with
mental illness are not getting help.
Fear of stigma and the resulting
discrimination discourage individuals and
families from getting the help they need.
 SUICIDE PREVENTION
-Suicide is leading cause of death among
young people ages 15-24.

-90 % of those who die by suicide have a

mental illness.
 WHAT TO DO?
TELL it to an ADULT
- parent
- teacher
- guidance counselor/life coach
- or even peer facilitators
 Support Strategies/Community
Mental Health Resources
#BESH
Be hopeful; help them feel like their life will get better.
Encourage the person to seek help and support from an
adult.
Stand by them. Invite your friend to things that you are
doing.
Have time with the person, listen to his/her concerns.
 Support Strategies/Community
Mental Health Resources
Learn as much as you can about mental illness
so that you understand what is going on
If you are a close friend or family member
of someone with a mental health problem,
make sure that you get help as well.
Put the person’s life before your friendship.
It’s better to have a friend who is angry
with you than to keep their secret
and live with knowing you could
have helped, but
remained silent when
your friend was in trouble.
HELP HOW-TO’S
 First Step:
Reach out to people you trust
1. Healing is a combination of helping yourself and
letting others help you.
2. Comfort and support, information and advice,
and professional treatment are forms of help.
3. Think of all the people you can turn to for
support. (friends, parents, family members,
relatives, a second parent, teacher, church etc.)
 Second Step: Take Action
1. The more you know, the easier it is – look for
excellent source of information about mental health.
Bookstores often have “self-help” or “psychology”
sections or legit websites/credible sources of information.
2. Nothing is worse than nothing - Untreated
problems often continue and become worse, and new
problems may occur. (For example, someone with panic attacks
might begin drinking too much alcohol with the mistaken hope that it will
help relieve his or her emotional pain.)
 Second Step: Take Action
3. It’s all in the attitude – Sometimes being able
to get the help, support, and professional
treatment you need is a matter of changing
your mind about mental health and
changing the way you react to mental
health problems.
 IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
•Mental Health is as important as physical
health.
• Mental Health problems are real, and they
deserve to be treated.
•It’s NOT the person’s fault if he or she has a
mental health problems.
No one is to blame.
 IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
•Mental Health problems are not
a sign of weakness.
•Whether you are male/female, it’s
ok to ask for help and get it.
•There is HOPE 
 Evaluation Output (Triad)
1. Create and design a leaflet/flyer/brochure about suicide prevention
(Theme: encouragement to speak up and seek help)
*Have your group brainstorm on the layout and content.
2. To be submitted as one printed sample subject for checking the
content before reproduction (5pcs-brochure / 10 pcs.- leaflet/flyer)
3. Criteria: (5)Correct Content with references/(5)Theme
accuracy/(5)Creative Design/layout/ (5)Catchy/Encouraging
words/style = 20 pts
4. Include your names at the back/end of the flyers
5. Have someone to refer to or encourage to seek HELP – 10 points
(individual)