Mental Health Literacy in Schools

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The Importance of Building Awareness and Reducing Stigma in Classrooms

Despite increasing awareness, conversations about mental health continue to be surrounded by stigma, especially amongst young people. This is why mental health literacy and destigmatisation in schools are critical – now more than ever. 

Educators play an essential role in shaping the minds of future generations, and by addressing mental health in the classroom, they can significantly reduce stigma to promote healthier, more inclusive communities.

What is Mental Health Literacy?

Mental health literacy refers to the understanding and knowledge that individuals possess about:

  • mental health conditions
  • symptoms
  • prevention
  • available support

Mental health literacy helps people recognise signs of mental health struggles – in themselves and others – and teaches them how to seek out appropriate help. It also fosters empathy and open dialogue around mental health, breaking down misunderstandings and misconceptions that so often fuel stigma.

When young people understand mental health, they are more likely to approach it with compassion, reducing shame and fear around their own experiences. In turn, this can enable early interventions, which have been shown to drastically improve outcomes for those experiencing mental health challenges. 

Schools, as primary environments for children and teenagers, are in a unique position to teach this literacy at a critical time of development.

Why Destigmatisation Matters

Mental health stigma – negative beliefs or attitudes about mental health – prevents many from seeking help. In school environments, where peer pressure and social dynamics are amplified, struggling students often suffer in silence.

By promoting destigmatisation in schools, we can work together to create safer, more supportive environments where students feel empowered to talk about their mental health without fear of judgement. This not only improves individual wellbeing but fosters a culture of understanding and community responsibility. Educators, parents and students must all work together to normalise conversations about mental health and create stronger pathways for support.

The Role of Schools

Schools are one of the most critical spaces where early intervention can occur. Educators, counsellors and peer groups have the power to influence how young people perceive and respond to mental health issues. Incorporating mental health education into school curricula is a practical, effective way to boost mental health literacy.

Programs that focus on emotional wellbeing and mental health resilience help students better manage stress, understand their emotions and develop lasting coping strategies.

Decode: A Step Forward

Matterworks and Education Perfect (EP) have taken a forward-thinking approach to this issue, partnering to create the Decode Mental Health and Wellbeing program.

This innovative initiative leads with engaging video content designed to compassionately speak to young people. It features relatable talent whose lived experiences help students to better understand their own emotions and experiences. Developed with experts from MCRI and based on decades of evidence-based research, the program tackles mental health literacy and destigmatisation by providing interactive and practical resources that make these important topics more accessible. 

Over the last year, the program has evolved to now include culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), First Nations, neurodivergent and disabled content available, making Decode a comprehensive and inclusive program for all Australians. 

Decode was also recently endorsed by Beyond Blue and is included in the‘Be You’ schools menu. Furthermore, the program has a peer review evaluation that is due to be published, citing positive results from both a literacy-building and destigmatisation perspective.

Together, we’re making strides in promoting mental health education across Australia. Through Decode, students are not only learning the facts but are given tools to foster self-awareness, emotional intelligence and support networks.

The Path Forward

As mental health issues continue to affect many young people, the need for comprehensive mental health literacy programs is more critical than ever. By prioritising mental health education and normalising wellbeing conversations in schools, we can build a future where students feel safe, supported and knowledgeable.

The partnership between EP and Matterworks on the Decode program exemplifies the positive impact that collaboration can have on improving mental health outcomes for students. By integrating mental health literacy into a relatable, curriculum-aligned school program, Matterworks and EP are normalising mental health literacy in an engaging, evidence-based way.

The Decode Mental Health and Wellbeing program is available to all Australian EP customers who currently subscribe to the EP Essentials package or can be purchased for individual year groups. Explore how the program can support your students’ unique needs below!

The Decode Teacher edition is also available. The supporting professional development course is offered alongside our student resource. This podcast-led course is designed to educate teachers about mental health concepts, taking them inside mental health and leaving them confident to teach Decode and beyond.

Learn more

Looking for curriculum-aligned ways to amplify your classroom impact? Reach out to an EP Specialist today to book a demo!

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Last Updated
October 14, 2024
Category
Article

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