Mental Health Basics
True or False: Mental health challenges are common.
True
Name one of the mental health professionals we learned about in session #2.
Counselor, social worker, therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or substance use professional
Name a warning sign of self-injury.
Cuts or bruises, wearing long sleeves or lots of bracelets to cover arms, using lots of band-aids
A ______ _______ _____ is a situation where a person has a high chance of harming themselves or others.
Mental Health Crisis
DO or DON'T: Diagnose a mental health challenge.
DON'T
Our thoughts affect our feelings which can affect our ______.
Actions/behaviors
Taking care of your body and mind through healthy habits to improve how you feel and function. Examples may include journaling, exercise, or listening to music.
Self-care/self-love/self-help
True or false: A teen that self-harms must be suicidal.
False. While it needs to be taken seriously, self-injury is often used as a way to cope and doesn't always indicate suicidality.
What is the number for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline?
988
DO or DON'T: Guide a friend toward seeking appropriate help.
DO!
A ____________ ________ ___________ is when a change in a person's thoughts, feelings, or actions disrupts their ability to study, work, do their daily activities, or have good relationships with others.
Mental health challenge
In step #5, our tMHFA action plan tells us that our _______ is important to help a peer feel supported.
Friendship
Once you recognize warning signs, the next step in the tMHFA action plan tells you to...?
ASK how they are
When someone is unconscious, such as in the event of an overdose, it is important to put them in the _______ position to keep their airway open.
Recovery
[Scenario] If you check on your friend via text and they don't respond or you can't tell how they're really feeling, what should you do next?
Check on them in-person (e.g., go to their house)
__________ is going through or seeing a deeply distressing event that can feel overwhelming which can cause really strong feelings and reactions in your body, and can last a long time after the event.
Trauma
What is the most important thing to prioritize in providing mental health first aid for yourself and the person experiencing the mental health crisis?
Safety
What is the term for a sudden episode of high anxiety? About 1 in 5 people will have one in their lifetime.
Panic Attack
If your friend is exhibiting signs of a mental health crisis, what should you do right away, even if your friend asks you not to?
Tell an adult/call 911 or 988.
[Scenario] Your friend is in crisis but they don't want you to tell anyone/help them connect to an adult. What should you do?
Still tell an adult/call 911 or 988.
The term for when someone views another person in a negative way or blames them because they have a mental health challenge. This can damage mental health and make it harder for people to get help.
Mental health stigma
The term for the ability to bounce back from hard times and learn from them to grow.
Resilience.
Name the key warning sign of a mental health crisis.
We know it's a crisis if we observe signs that they want to harm themselves or others.
True or false: Asking if your friend is considering suicide will put the idea in their head.
False. We know from research that asking won't raise their chance of suicide and sends the message that we care about the person and are worried about how they are doing.
List the 5 steps of the tMHFA action plan.
(1) Look for warning signs (2) Ask how they are (3) Listen up (4) Help them connect with an adult (5) Your friendship is important