A series of powerful animated short films exploring through personal testimony the experiences of teenagers dealing with mental health issues including eating disorders, anxiety, addiction and depression.
These films are suitable for teaching PSHE at KS3 and GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Modern Studies at National 4 and 5 in Scotland.
Topics covered include:
- Mental, emotional and physical health
- Self-esteem and self-confidence
- Negative relationships and peer pressure
- Drugs and alcohol
- Prejudice and discrimination
Due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, we strongly advise teacher viewing before watching with your pupils.
Dealing with an eating disorder - Jack's Story. video
Jack’s story explores what it can be like to battle with an eating disorder in school.
Addiction - Chloe's Story. video
Chloe’s story explores how neglect and abuse led to an addiction to drugs.
The effect of being bullied - Ryan's Story. video
Ryan’s story explores how being bullied at school and feeling alone in his family triggered serious problems with his mental health.
Anxiety - Aneeka and Sam's Story. video
Aneeka and Sam’s story explores what it is like when you are battling anxiety and the different reasons it can develop.
Self-harm - India's Story. video
India’s story explores what it can be like to battle with severe anxiety and self-harm.
Depression - Eleanor’s story. video
Eleanor’s story explores what it can be like to battle with depression and suicidal thoughts and the effect it can have on your life.
If your students need support
You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.
If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact , where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are more links to helpful organisations on 鶹Լ Action Line.
Where next?
Time to talk about... collection
A collection of short films for secondary schools intended to help to start classroom discussions around mental health. The films cover different mental health conditions from the perspective of five well-known contributors and role models who have experienced similar.
Bitesize
Use these Bitesize resources to set homework, independent study tasks or to consolidate learning for your pupils.
Newsround
The latest news stories from Newsround to share in the classroom.
