educating 13 / 14 year old kids on mental illness?

Question

I work in the mental health field and I have been asked to do a workshop with teenagers on mental illness and discrimination . Has anyone any ideas on some role play situations I can do to get our message across in a way which will raise awareness about mental illness and the negative effect discrimination can have on people getting help in the first place or recovering - without putting negative ideas in their heads. I have lots of information to give but I think (I maybe wrong cos teaching young people is not my forte) if they get involved in role play, this will have a far bigger impact.

Answer 1

I would start by asking them what they think about mental illness, get an idea if they have any sort of misconceptions, and let them do a lot of the talking. Then maybe assign them each a mental illness, explain to them what that really looks like, and have them take turns acting it out. Correct them if they start to make it too silly.

Answer 2

There was an American teacher about 30 years ago who walked into her class of 10 year olds and informed them that scientists had discovered that blue eyed people were smarter than brown. About a week later she said she had gotten it wrong and that actually it was the other way around.
She wrote down the effect on the children of receiving this information in terms of handwriting and group behaviour, and how this effect switched with the 'authoritative truth'.
As you can imagine the favoured group began to perform better and discriminate against the other.
You can't get way with that sort of thing these days but when role playing about mental illness and discrimination bringing it 'home' like that is a powerful device. Maybe pick situations that will do this? Try to trace back where people got their information.
'Reason' can then be used to contradict errors of nurture and 'overcome' the 'shortcomings' of nature. Bit rambling but hope that helps.

Answer 3

I am on your side with this problem! because role playing with the
following up with, giving those youngsters some responsibility that would help in all ways because some times when you breast
feed those youngsters so to speak. all you are doing is to keep them dependent and that's not good for them @ all. The other thing is, sines you are so devoted to those youngsters and that's very good! why don't you try and open a home or some thing like
that for

your self???. That would be very good. Have you ever think about
that??. If you were closed to me we would talk about some thing
like that but you may be far me. But think about some thing like that OK. Some times when you are working with other people you
do not get the Chance to put your Ideas to use and if you even get
the chance to do so, then other people gets the CREDIT so you should think about move on, on your own @ some time in your life. Hoping you are not @ the age when you think you are too old
to do some thing for your self!. Just do not give up and start doing
some thing for your self and those Youngesters. YOU GO ON FIGHTING. Don't give up @ all >>>>>>>>..

Answer 4

Role play could work, though a direct approach might also. You could try simply talking to them about it. Note I said talk *to* them, not *at* them which is what many adults actually do when they want to get something across to teens. I know when I was a teen this aggravated me to no end. I would've been much more receptive to information if I was being talked to as an equal rather than talked at as a kid. They're at an age where they don't exactly see themselves as "kids" any longer, yet everyone around them still treats them that way (which, as an adult I find understandable, but the teens likely wont).

I don't know the format you'll be doing this in but if it's a reasonably small group, say a classroom size, then this could work well. Allow them to interject questions when they have them and fully explain your reasoning behind your answers. This way you don't seem like you're just brushing them off with a stock "because I'm an expert" sort of answer. In other words, engage them as if you were discussing this with a group of adults that you had to inform.

Others might have better ideas but this is my opinion of what I think might work.

Answer 5

I would suggest you do something with depression because it is a far more wide spread and common disorder. There are also a lot of misconceptions about the disorder. Most people that I have encountered with depression say that they have been told by friends and loved ones that depression does not exist and that it is just a person's excuse to be lazy. Another misconception is that a person with depression can just "snap" out of it anytime they want to or they won't because they "like to feel that way". Maybe you could do a skit showing how you can help a person with depression, maybe by being a good friend and listening or getting them the help that they need if you feel their life is endangered. I really hope that I helped and I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 6

You could put together some fact sheets about mental illness and describe about different illnesses for instance depression or Anxiety.
Then ask questions at the end...but most of all make sure they understand that mental illness can and will always be cured in the long run...Some of them, anyway

Answer 7

you could maybe start the class by having them write out 10 things they think about mental illness or mentally ill people and then review at the end to see how their perceptions have changed.....see what kind of stereotypes they have and address them
you could write out "symptoms" for them to act out and have the others guess what the illness is, or whether it's normal or ill behavior
good luck...sounds like a good project

Answer 8

Well i never really enjoyed role playing, acturally i refused to do it most of my life.
But you can have them stand up, and one will be normal, what ever normal is and the other on, you can have always hanging his or her head, like she is afraid of people, and don't think any one like her, and she is in depression, cause of it. Cause self esteem is one of the big ones that get that age group, peer pressure, you know. They become so low in self esteem some times that they try to hide so no one sees them, they sit in the back rolls of the class room, go on things like that, and they are afraid to ask someone out, cause they really don't think that person will go out with them cause they think they are not good enough. I really think i would go that way. Good luck with your class with the kids.

Answer 9

mental health issues are always looked upon negitivly its a shame but it shouldnt be even ADD ADHD are under this category you could check out the website adders it has letters from children about how just because they percieve something differently they are sooooooo bright its sad

Answer 10

its not role play but is very affective on discrimination.
take 12 pictures from magazines and 12 words (hiv positive, parent, christian, offender, gay, prostitute etc.) tell them that each word is from an article about one of the pictures and see if they can match them up. most answers will be the same (hiv positive is usually placed with someone black, gay with a male poser, sleeps around with a pretty blonde.)
it gives lots of discussions