Stress is a part of life, but students may have difficulty coping and feel overwhelmed, which can increase the risk for drug use. The article “Stressed Out?” helps explain how the body’s stress response system works, as well as the health consequences of ongoing (chronic) stress. Students will learn how their bodies respond to stress, and how they can manage under pressure.
Experts in adolescent medicine and suicide research explain the factors that contribute to the rise in youth suicides. Dr. Hatim Omar, an adolescent medicine specialist at the University of Kentucky, and Melinda Moore, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Eastern Kentucky University, both agree that limiting access to lethal means of suicide is crucial to reducing overall rates. This video segment is part of You Are Not Alone, a youth mental health series produced by KET.
Financial inequality has been in the news a lot recently. It was the rallying cry for the Occupy Wall Street movement that began back in 2011, and it was at the center of Bernie Sanders’ campaign when he ran for president. This inequality creates what is typically called a social status ladder, with rich people at the top and poorer people toward the bottom. Research shows that your position on the ladder is actually one of the most powerful predictors of health. But it’s so much more than just how much money you have or how fancy your education is. It’s how you feel you compare to other people -- your subjective social status.
The resource is informational material about communicating to trusted adults, specifically your parents, about mental health. The information provides strategies on communicating effectively to adolescents parents. The resource is from Mental Health America and gives other resources about mental health. The overview is about how to communicate effectively to parents, but it also includes teachers, relatives, and guidance counselors. This is a great resource on explaining when input from a health professional, counselor, or trusted adult would be helpful.
This alignment results from the ALEX Health/PE COS Resource Alignment Summit.
Mental Wellness Basics introduces students to concepts related to mental health and wellness. The stigma associated with mental health can have serious and negative impacts on help-seeking behaviors, and many mental health conditions and symptoms can be significantly lessened through prevention.
This alignment results from the ALEX Health/PE COS Resource Alignment Summit.
This TED-Ed learning activity guides students through the explanation, possible causes, and treatment for bipolar disorder. The word bipolar means ‘two extremes.’ For the many millions experiencing bipolar disorder around the world, life is split between two different realities: elation and depression. So what causes this disorder? And can it be treated? Helen M. Farrell describes the root causes and treatments for bipolar disorder.
The activity includes a video, multiple choice and open-ended questions, additional resources to dig deeper, and a guided discussion.
This alignment results from the ALEX Health/PE COS Resource Alignment Summit.
This TED-Ed learning activity guides students through the explanation of, possible causes, and treatments for depression.
Depression is the leading cause of disability in the world; in the United States, close to ten percent of adults struggle with the disease. But because it’s a mental illness, it can be a lot harder to understand than, say, high cholesterol. Helen M. Farrell examines the symptoms and treatments of depression and gives some tips for how you might help a friend who is suffering.
The activity includes a video, multiple choice and open-ended questions, additional resources to dig deeper, and a guided discussion.
This alignment results from the ALEX Health/PE COS Resource Alignment Summit.
This resource is a lesson plan where students will use cards to sort and understand a large quantity of information regarding suicidal teens, then apply what they learn to analyses of case studies.
The objectives of the lesson plan are to:
This alignment results from the ALEX Health/PE COS Resource Alignment Summit.
This free resource from KidsHealth includes informational material to teach students about depression. Depression is more than occasionally feeling blue, sad, or down in the dumps. Depression is a strong mood involving sadness, feelings of discouragement, despair, or hopelessness that may last for weeks, months, or longer. This resource outlines the difference between depression and general sadness, the signs of, and treatment for depression.
This alignment results from the ALEX Health/PE COS Resource Alignment Summit.
This informational webpage shares the following resources:
Managing and Preventing Stress for Teens
What is Stress
Symptoms of Stress
Preventing Stress
Informative video for stress and techniques to ease stress in teens
This alignment results from the ALEX Health/PE COS Resource Alignment Summit.
Pete Jones, of Louisville, Kentucky, died by suicide at age 23. His family talks about his mental health struggles and their work to honor his memory and prevent suicides through the Pete Foundation for Depression Prevention. This video segment is part of You Are Not Alone, a youth mental health series produced by KET. Video Resources are available below the video.
This alignment results from the ALEX Health/PE COS Resource Alignment Summit.