Young People and Mental Health

Offered By: University of Cambridge via FutureLearn

Course Description

Overview

Understand the importance of youth mental health

Mental health problems often develop during the teenage years, with as many as one in five adolescents dealing with these challenges.

Therefore, it’s important that you know how to recognise mental health problems, what you can do to prevent them, and what you should do if you suffer from them.

On this five-week course designed specifically for young people, you’ll explore the most common psychological problems. Through personal stories, quizzes, and short assignments, you’ll develop the techniques to help manage and improve your mental health.

Learn how mental health problems arise

As you learn to identify the symptoms of mental health problems such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and ADHD, you’ll understand that there is no clear line between mentally healthy and not mentally healthy people.

With this knowledge, you’ll delve into what it is that can cause psychological problems including personal, environmental, and genetic factors, to understand how these issues arise in the first place.

Learn from the experts at the University of Groningen and Cambridge University

Once you have an understanding of how and why mental health issues occur, you’ll learn what to do when you experience mental health problems.

This course will arm you with the knowledge to both protect and boost your own mental health. Guided by the experts at The University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, and Cambridge University, you’ll finish the course with the tools to effectively manage your mental wellbeing.

This course is designed for young people aged over 14 who want to know more about mental health.

It might also be of interest to parents, caregivers, teachers, and medical professionals.

Syllabus

Introduction mental health & eating disorders

Introduction to the course
Why do psychological problems often occur in young people?
What is a good mental health?
When can you speak of psychological problems?
How often do psychological problems occur in young people?
Introduction to mental health test
Introduction to eating disorders
What are eating disorders?
Why does someone get an eating disorder?
How often do eating disorders occur and what are the consequences?
Getting help for an eating disorder
Conclusion eating disorders

Depression & anxiety

Introduction to depression
What is a depression?
How often do depressions occur?
Why does someone become depressed?
Depression and then what?
Conclusion depression
Introduction to anxiety
Phobias
Fear of failure
Compulsion
Conclusion anxiety

Autism & ADHD

Introduction to autism
What is autism?
Why isn't autism just called autism?
How does autism start and how do you deal with it?
Conclusion autism
Introduction to ADHD
What is ADHD?
What is and what isn't ADHD?
Does ADHD occur more often than it used to?
What are the causes of ADHD?
ADHD and then what?
Conclusion ADHD

Substance abuse & antisocial behaviour

Introduction to substance abuse
How many young people use alcohol or drugs
Risks of alcohol abuse and other substances
Addiction
Conclusion substance abuse
Introduction to antisocial behaviour
Why do young people show more antisocial behaviour?
Different groups of young people with antisocial behaviour
Conclusion antisocial behaviour

Psychosis & resilience

Introduction to psychosis
What is psychosis?
How often do psychoses occur?
Why does somebody get psychosis?
How do you get psychosis and what can you do about it?
Conclusion psychosis
Introduction to resilience
Resilience and bad experiences
How do you increase your resilience?
Talking to others
Taking good care of yourself
Take action!
Professional help
Conclusion resilience

Taught by

Maaike Meurs