MENTAL HEALTH & HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM GUIDE

MENTAL HEALTH

& HIGH SCHOOL

CURRICULUM GUIDE

UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL ILLNESS

VERSION 3

December 2017

This is the third version of the Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide (Guide v.3) and supports the

web based lesson plans and teaching resources found at:



The password is: t33nh3alth

Guide v.3 has been created by Dr. Stan Kutcher and Dr. Yifeng Wei of Dalhousie University and the IWK

Health Center. Stan Kutcher, DNS, MD, FRCPC, FCAHS, is, Professor of Psychiatry, the Sun Life Financial

Chair in Adolescent Mental Health and Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center at

Dalhousie University. Yifeng Wei, MEd, PhD is the Research and School Mental Health Lead of the Sun Life

Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health Team.

Contributing to Guide v.3 from the Sun Life Financial Chair team are: Vanessa Bruce Little, Kate Elliot, Amy

MacKay, Mina Hashish.

International expert review and contributions to Guide v.3 from: Susana Costa, Portugal; Michael Udedi, Malawi; Yasutaka Ojio, Japan; Mandy Paradise, USA; Andres Sourander, Finland.

Our thanks to Andrew Baxter (Alberta Health Services) and the scores of teachers, principals and other educators who provided feedback based on their application of the second edition of this resource.

? This material is under copyright. It cannot be altered, modified or sold. It is meant for educational purposes

only and is not a guide to diagnosis or treatment. If you are concerned about a mental health problem, please

seek the advice of health professionals.

2

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

About the Guide 4

Using the Guide 5

Reviewing the Guide 8

Teacher Knowledge Update 10

Pre/Post Quiz 11

Pre/Post Quiz Answers 14

Teacher Knowledge Update 15

Student Evaluation 46

Teacher Handout 49

Part 4: Modules 50

Module 1: The Stigma of Mental Illness

51

Module 2: Understanding Mental Health and Mental Illness

67

Module 3: Information on Specific Mental Illnesses

77

Module 4: Experiences of Mental Illness and the

Importance of Family Communication

111

Module 5: Seeking Help and Finding Support

117

Module 6: The Importance of Positive Mental Health

130

Glossary 144

Other Resources 160

Publications about the Guide 163

3

Introduction

About the Guide

The Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide (the Guide) is the only evidence-based mental health

curriculum resource that has been demonstrated to improve both teachers¡¯ and students¡¯ mental health literacy

through usual teacher education and application in the classroom in a variety of program evaluations and

research studies in Canada and elsewhere.*

This edition of the Guide replaces previous versions and has been rewritten with new materials added and

reflects Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM-5) nomenclature. The Guide is available online with all

components found in this book easily accessible using the password found on page 2. The online version of

the Guide can be obtained at: .

Information about how to access training programs related to the use of the Guide can be found at http://

care/educators/school-mental-health-training-programs/.

In addition to the online version and supporting materials for the Guide, the website

provides a rich repository of materials that can be used by educators and

students alike in improving their understanding of mental health and mental disorders.

The Guide has been developed to help enhance the mental health literacy of students and targeted to be used

in grades nine and ten (ages 13 to 15 years). This is the time of the lifespan in which the diagnoses of mental

disorders begins to increase dramatically; it is thus essential that young people be able to have the knowledge,

attitudes and competencies to help themselves and others if necessary. Mental health literacy has four

components:

1) Understanding how to optimize and maintain good mental health

2) Understanding mental disorders and their treatments

3) Decreasing Stigma

4) Enhancing help-seeking efficacy (knowing when and where to get help and having the skills necessary

to promote self-care and how to obtain good care)

The Guide helps prepare students for success in each of these domains. Educators using the Guide may wish

to use additional information to supplement the resources described in the Guide or to increase their

knowledge in youth mental health. While there are many mental health resources available, we recommend

two that meet our standards of quality: the handbook ¡°When Something¡¯s Wrong: Strategies for Teachers¡±

which can be found at: and the classroom resource ¡°Stop Wondering, Start

Knowing¡± which can be found at .

*Reports of some of the program evaluations and research on the application of the Guide can be found online

at: .

4

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download