FIRST OF ITS KIND
AN ON-LINE MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION ACTIVITY PACK, LAUNCHED BY THE CHARITY, WOKING MIND. <br/><br/> Woking Mind�s On-Line Mental Health Activity Pack was successfully launched at the Surrey History Centre, Woking, on 12 January 2012. It is the first on-line mental health education pack that does not require teachers to have prior knowledge of mental health, available free. It contains over 100 personal accounts about mental distress.<br/><br/> This work has been led by two of our volunteers, Tristana Smith, an Oxford Psychology student and Lexy Rose, a student from the Institute of Psychiatry, working with numerous professionals and organisations who have given their time and expertise for free. In the summer of 2010, Tristana and Lexy started this work in response to the need to challenge the stigma of mental health problems.<br/><br/> One 22 year old service user said: &#34;If my school had used this pack, it might not have taken me seven years to seek help. I might not have missed countless days of school, and constantly underperformed&#34;<br/><br/> The pack allows young people to understand and empathise with the experience of mental health problems. It contains six modules, covering the main topics within mental health; including self-harm, depression and addiction. The pack fits within the PSHE curriculum. Teacher activity plans contain all the information needed to teach the activities, and formatted student activity sheets are available. Click here to download the pack for free.<br/><br/> The pack has had input from Surrey CAMHS (NHS child and adolescent mental health services), researchers at the University of Oxford and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, teachers, mental health professionals, and countless individuals with personal experience.