Understanding Mental Illness links to Acceptance

Understanding mental illnesses 

Exploring understandings of mental health/illness - page 17

Introducing the Understanding Mental Illness unit - page 18

Language brainstorm - page 18

Understanding what we mean by mental illness - page 19

Mental illness - the facts (handout) - pages 20-22

Learning the language of mental illness (worksheet) - pages 23-24

2.1 Individual uniqueness: 

Each person should acknowledge his or her own uniqueness and be encouraged to develop self-respect and dignity.

2.2 Personal meaning: 

Each person should develop a sense of personal meaning and identity, and be encouraged to reflect critically on the ways in which that occurs.

2.3 Ethical behaviour and responsibility: 

Each person has freedom of will, is responsible for his or her own conduct and should be encouraged to develop discernment on ethical issues and to recognise the need for truthfulness and integrity.

2.4 Openness to learning: 

Each person should welcome opportunities for learning from all sources, including the formal study of the learned disciplines; from investigations, contemplation and the cultural tradition; and from people of divergent views.

2.5 Initiative and enterprise: 

Each person should have the confidence to show initiative and be enterprising in his or her approach to life’s challenges.

Experiences of mental illness 

Video Understanding Mental Illness - group discussion of section 1 - page 26

Homework - reading information sheets - page 28

Video discussion sheet - page 29

Eating disorders (information) - pages 30-32

Depression (information) - pages 33-35

Anxiety disorders (information) - pages 36-38

Bipolar mood disorder (information) - pages 39-41

Schizophrenia (information) - pages 42-44

2.1 Individual uniqueness: 

Each person should acknowledge his or her own uniqueness and be encouraged to develop self-respect and dignity.

2.2 Personal meaning: 

Each person should develop a sense of personal meaning and identity, and be encouraged to reflect critically on the ways in which that occurs.

2.3 Ethical behaviour and responsibility: 

Each person has freedom of will, is responsible for his or her own conduct and should be encouraged to develop discernment on ethical issues and to recognise the need for truthfulness and integrity.

2.4 Openness to learning: 

Each person should welcome opportunities for learning from all sources, including the formal study of the learned disciplines; from investigations, contemplation and the cultural tradition; and from people of divergent views.

2.5 Initiative and enterprise: 

Each person should have the confidence to show initiative and be enterprising in his or her approach to life’s challenges.

Mental illnesses – the same but different 

Specialist groups - recording information about specific illnesses - pages 45-46

Sharing the pieces or follow up quiz - page 46

Answers for quiz - page 47

Understanding anxiety disorders (record sheet) - page 48

Understanding depression (record sheet) - page 49

Understanding schizophrenia (record sheet) - page 50

Understanding eating disorders (record sheet) - page 51

Understanding bipolar mood disorder or manic depression (record sheet) - page 52

Mental illness. How much do you understand?

Quiz (worksheet) - page 53

Community attitude survey (template) - page 55

Survey record sheet - page 56

2.1 Individual uniqueness: 

Each person should acknowledge his or her own uniqueness and be encouraged to develop self-respect and dignity.

2.2 Personal meaning: 

Each person should develop a sense of personal meaning and identity, and be encouraged to reflect critically on the ways in which that occurs.

2.3 Ethical behaviour and responsibility: 

Each person has freedom of will, is responsible for his or her own conduct and should be encouraged to develop discernment on ethical issues and to recognise the need for truthfulness and integrity.

2.4 Openness to learning: 

Each person should welcome opportunities for learning from all sources, including the formal study of the learned disciplines; from investigations, contemplation and the cultural tradition; and from people of divergent views.

2.5 Initiative and enterprise: 

Each person should have the confidence to show initiative and be enterprising in his or her approach to life’s challenges.

Changing people’s minds & attitudes 

Survey collation - pages 57-59

Video - changing people’s attitudes - pages 59-61

Script your own advertisement - pages 61-62

Exploring attitudes - page 62

The kindness of strangers (handout) - page 63

Key communication messages (handout) - page 64

2.1 Individual uniqueness: 

Each person should acknowledge his or her own uniqueness and be encouraged to develop self-respect and dignity.

2.2 Personal meaning: 

Each person should develop a sense of personal meaning and identity, and be encouraged to reflect critically on the ways in which that occurs.

2.3 Ethical behaviour and responsibility: 

Each person has freedom of will, is responsible for his or her own conduct and should be encouraged to develop discernment on ethical issues and to recognise the need for truthfulness and integrity.

2.4 Openness to learning: 

Each person should welcome opportunities for learning from all sources, including the formal study of the learned disciplines; from investigations, contemplation and the cultural tradition; and from people of divergent views.

2.5 Initiative and enterprise: 

Each person should have the confidence to show initiative and be enterprising in his or her approach to life’s challenges.

Labels are for jars 

Labels - pages 65-67

Option A if the shoe fits - pages 65-66

Option B labelling jars not people - page 66

Fact, fear, furphy or fiction - a summary quiz - page 67

Creative writing - uses ‘A thesaurus of madness’ - page 68

Newsletter - page 68

Labels (worksheet) - page 69

Jam-jars (worksheet) - page 70

Fact, fear, furphy or fiction (worksheet) - pages 71-72

A thesaurus of madness (handout) - page 73

2.1 Individual uniqueness: 

Each person should acknowledge his or her own uniqueness and be encouraged to develop self-respect and dignity.

2.2 Personal meaning: 

Each person should develop a sense of personal meaning and identity, and be encouraged to reflect critically on the ways in which that occurs.

2.3 Ethical behaviour and responsibility: 

Each person has freedom of will, is responsible for his or her own conduct and should be encouraged to develop discernment on ethical issues and to recognise the need for truthfulness and integrity.

2.4 Openness to learning: 

Each person should welcome opportunities for learning from all sources, including the formal study of the learned disciplines; from investigations, contemplation and the cultural tradition; and from people of divergent views.

2.5 Initiative and enterprise: 

Each person should have the confidence to show initiative and be enterprising in his or her approach to life’s challenges.

Seeking help, finding support 

Identifying the need for support - page 75

Local services - page 75

Care of the seriously mentally ill in Australia - page 76

Something is not quite right - getting help early for mental illness (handout) - pages 77-78

Scenario cards (handouts) - pages 79-82 - 8 scenarios provided

Care of the seriously mentally ill in Australia (handout) - pages 83-86

2.1 Individual uniqueness: 

Each person should acknowledge his or her own uniqueness and be encouraged to develop self-respect and dignity.

2.2 Personal meaning: 

Each person should develop a sense of personal meaning and identity, and be encouraged to reflect critically on the ways in which that occurs.

2.3 Ethical behaviour and responsibility: 

Each person has freedom of will, is responsible for his or her own conduct and should be encouraged to develop discernment on ethical issues and to recognise the need for truthfulness and integrity.

2.4 Openness to learning: 

Each person should welcome opportunities for learning from all sources, including the formal study of the learned disciplines; from investigations, contemplation and the cultural tradition; and from people of divergent views.

2.5 Initiative and enterprise: 

Each person should have the confidence to show initiative and be enterprising in his or her approach to life’s challenges.

Taking actions, creating options 

Getting help - pages 87-88

Sample questions - page 88

Actions & reactions - page 89

Discussion - options for help seeking - page 89

2.1 Individual uniqueness: 

Each person should acknowledge his or her own uniqueness and be encouraged to develop self-respect and dignity.

2.2 Personal meaning: 

Each person should develop a sense of personal meaning and identity, and be encouraged to reflect critically on the ways in which that occurs.

2.3 Ethical behaviour and responsibility: 

Each person has freedom of will, is responsible for his or her own conduct and should be encouraged to develop discernment on ethical issues and to recognise the need for truthfulness and integrity.

2.4 Openness to learning: 

Each person should welcome opportunities for learning from all sources, including the formal study of the learned disciplines; from investigations, contemplation and the cultural tradition; and from people of divergent views.

2.5 Initiative and enterprise: 

Each person should have the confidence to show initiative and be enterprising in his or her approach to life’s challenges.

Face to face 

Guest speaker - page 90

Reflecting upon the new information - page 91

Selected video - personal experiences of mental illness - page 91

Sample questions - considering prior and current beliefs and understandings - page 91

2.1 Individual uniqueness: 

Each person should acknowledge his or her own uniqueness and be encouraged to develop self-respect and dignity.

2.2 Personal meaning: 

Each person should develop a sense of personal meaning and identity, and be encouraged to reflect critically on the ways in which that occurs.

2.3 Ethical behaviour and responsibility: 

Each person has freedom of will, is responsible for his or her own conduct and should be encouraged to develop discernment on ethical issues and to recognise the need for truthfulness and integrity.

2.4 Openness to learning: 

Each person should welcome opportunities for learning from all sources, including the formal study of the learned disciplines; from investigations, contemplation and the cultural tradition; and from people of divergent views.

2.5 Initiative and enterprise: 

Each person should have the confidence to show initiative and be enterprising in his or her approach to life’s challenges.

Resource list 

Resource list - websites, videos & brochures - page 92

2.1 Individual uniqueness: 

Each person should acknowledge his or her own uniqueness and be encouraged to develop self-respect and dignity.

2.2 Personal meaning: 

Each person should develop a sense of personal meaning and identity, and be encouraged to reflect critically on the ways in which that occurs.

2.3 Ethical behaviour and responsibility: 

Each person has freedom of will, is responsible for his or her own conduct and should be encouraged to develop discernment on ethical issues and to recognise the need for truthfulness and integrity.

2.4 Openness to learning: 

Each person should welcome opportunities for learning from all sources, including the formal study of the learned disciplines; from investigations, contemplation and the cultural tradition; and from people of divergent views.

2.5 Initiative and enterprise: 

Each person should have the confidence to show initiative and be enterprising in his or her approach to life’s challenges.