KS3 / KS4 PSHE: Time to talk about...

[Katie] Hi, I'm Katie Thistleton.

[Roman] My name’s Roman Kemp.

[Zara] I’m Zara McDermott.

[Wes] I'm Wes Nelson.

[Tom] I'm Tom Grennan, and I have anxiety.

[Natasha] We know that there's still a stigma attached to mental health, and

sometimes young people don't feel that they can open up for fear of being ridiculed

by their peers or what other people say or think of them.

One of the main obstacles, that certainly when I’ve supported teachers in schools,

is that they don't have the confidence.

So they feel like, because they've not got a mental health qualification

or they're not a counsellor or therapist that they can't fulfil that role of supporting

the young person with their mental health.

But we must remember that sometimes young people just want to have someone

that's relatable, that is familiar, that they feel safe with.

and actually that key interaction of just first opening up

can be with someone that is a teacher, or someone that the young person

feels comfortable with in school.

If you can demonstrate a positive interaction with that young person

in that first moment that they may reach out for help, that can be crucial to them

then going on to receive professional help

If in that interaction they don't feel listened to, or they feel like they're being ridiculed

or that their issues aren't being taken seriously, then that can shut off the communication

And then that could stop them from getting further support

So, as teachers, obviously, you know, you're not going to provide counselling sessions

or ongoing therapeutic support, but it's just really important to remember that you could be

that key person that, that young person needs in that moment

to help them access further support.

We know that if young people are feeling more stable emotionally,

then they will be able to achieve.

And of course, when they're struggling with their mental health it’s going to be hard

to achieve the best that they can.

[Katie] I've been through what you're going through

and it made me feel anxious and stressed too.

[Natasha] I think the schools as a whole need to address mental health so

it needs to be from the top, you know, from senior leaders, down to teaching staff,

down to every member of staff and raising the awareness in schools and actually

and actually seeing this as part of the educational journey

that if you want to get the best out of students

supporting their mental health is in everyone's best interest.

Each of the films have been structured in a way that takes you from a real life scenario,

from a real young person that's called in to get some support.

And then it moves into the celebrity section where each celebrity will discuss a theme

that they've actually struggled with themselves.

It then moves on to the professional, giving some supportive advice and strategies

how young people can manage that mental health concern.

So, for example, in Zara's video, she talks about her use of social media

and the impact it's had on her self-esteem and confidence.

She very openly discusses how she uses the perfect images to post on her social media.

But actually she has millions of images that aren't so perfect.

And I think this is really powerful because of course,

young people often only see the end product of the perfect picture images.

So for them to actually hear celebrities talking openly about their own self-esteem issues

and that actually everything isn't perfect, I think really can help a young person

to identify with similar emotions that they may be feeling.

Some of the other themes that are covered in the videos are anxiety, depression

and loneliness, exam, and school-related stress, bullying,

and how to look after your wellbeing in general.

[Zara] And this really affected my self esteem. I started to question my appearance

[Tom] and it's a bit like butterflies, but then the butterflies become more intense

and more intense and more intense.

[Wes] When I experience this, I become very introverted, I’m not as chatty

I’m just not myself

[Natasha] After viewing the films, this can be a prompt to start conversations around mental health.

It can help young people by identifying how the celebrities in the films may have

felt in terms of the mental health conditions that they're talking about,

asking students questions about how that may have felt for the celebrity,

can then also in turn, help them reflect on how that may feel

for them or for someone in their peer group.

It can also help to normalise mental health and break the stigma down

and starting these conversations now with young people will help them to do that in the future.

[Roman] and that’s the thing, when we start to talk about our mental health we

realise that our friends and the people around us might also be experiencing

Mental health issues

[Natasha] Schools can create an environment of openness

around talking about mental health in many different ways

Some ways that you can do this are by featuring regular sessions around mental health and wellbeing.

Having wellbeing days, assemblies, using posters around school

That demonstrate where to get support around mental health

Also open communications with parents, so newsletters

and having themes centred around different mental health concerns.

And of course, using resources like the videos, which can be shared via a link on your website

or a portal, shared in emails, or a newsletter.

And also to be used as a resource to start conversations either in a form room setting

or classroom, or even on a one-to-one basis where that's appropriate.

It's so important for schools to create an environment where young people

can talk about their own mental health openly.

School is a pivotal part of young people's life. They're there a lot of the time and so

it's essential that they feel safe and supported in this environment

that they're not just learning academically, but also learning how to grow into

a young adult and ultimately into a healthy adult in the future.

We're trying to break the stigma down and starting these conversations now

with young people will help them to do that in the future.