Mental health literacy is the knowledge and understanding of how to develop and maintain mental well-being, identify risk factors and signs of mental health challenges, access help when needed, and reduce stigma.
Helping teach students mental health literacy can be best accomplished by engaging students in thoughtful discussions, and encouraging students to think critically about their current beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours. This conversation can be best facilitated by caring adults who connect with students regularly (like teachers or counsellors). There are a number of resources, curriculum-linked lesson plans, and toolkits that you can use to have these conversations, while increasing your own knowledge with the subject material. Below are a few resources for school professionals to facilitate these discussions.
