LEARNING OBJECTIVE

To describe mental health diagnoses and understand the importance of asking for help

HEALTH ED STANDARD

Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health (NHES 1)

KEY VOCAB

 empathy, obsessivecompulsive disorder, rituals, depression, anxiety, advocate

Lesson Plan: “I Had Depression”

About one out of every five teens grapples with symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional health issues—yet few talk about it. Meet three kids dedicated to changing that.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

What can I do to help someone who is struggling with emotional health issues? 

 CLOSE-READING QUESTIONS

  1. What are signs that a friend may be struggling with depression? They might appear moody, down, or no longer interested in the things they used to find fun. They also might have had more unhappy days than happy days within a two- to three-week period.
  2. How did obsessive-compulsive disorder impact Sammy? Sammy’s OCD led to an obsession with her grades. She had compulsive rituals she felt she needed to do before all tests.
  3. What did Kenidra do to help others with their mental health struggles? She became an advocate for mental health, self-harm, and suicide awareness. She has a blog and uses social media to reach out to others who need help.

Like What You See?

Then you'll love Choices, our health, social-emotional learning, and life-skills magazine for grades 7–12 

 CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

  1. People often use OCD to describe someone who is neat and organized. How might this be hurtful to someone living with OCD? Possible answer: OCD is about panic over unreasonable fears, not about being clean. Using the term incorrectly might make a person with OCD feel misunderstood. 
  2. Jordan’s mom wouldn’t agree to let him get the help he needed. Who in your life could you turn to for mental health help? Answers will vary. 
  3. All three teens became advocates for mental health. Why do you think they were motivated to make a difference? Possible answer: They didn’t want other teens to have to go through the things they dealt with, so they decided to use their experiences to help others

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

NHES 8

Using our MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY handout, each student will pick a mental health topic that they feel passionately about and research different advocacy groups that are bringing awareness to the cause. After gathering all the important details (including how teens can volunteer or help out), they’ll present their findings to the class

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

NHES 2

In many cases, teens are afraid to ask for mental health help. Using the END THE STIGMA project planner, students will map out a method of urging classmates to ask for assistance when they need it. Encourage them to think big—this could be a piece of art, video PSA, poster, or any other creative medium that they think would grab the attention of their peers. 

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