Psychology - Common Mental Illnesses Flex Class with a Licensed Teacher

This course is the first Unit of a Mental Health Curriculum that can be taken alone, as a multi unit course, over weeks or as a full semester class that includes 9 units in total. In this unit students are introduced to the most common mental disorders, their causes, symptoms and therapeutic treatments. Lectures and discussions taught utilizing PowerPoint presentations, home and YouTube videos teach to diverse learning styles. Activities, discussion and debate questions are utilized for group work. Worksheets are attached for notes practice, to retain the knowledge presented and form more detailed discussion answers.

Students will be introduced to:
* The 5 major categories of mental disabilities
* The stigmas associated with mental illness
* The many disorders associated with each category 
* Statistics and studies concerning how the US population is affected by the different disorders
* The many causes that contribute to each disorder
* The symptoms associated with each category
* The many treatments and therapies involved with each category of disorders
* Several videos regarding the disorders history to their effects
* PowerPoint presentations and discussion time regarding every aspect

Week one: We begin with a pre-assessment showing our knowledge of mental health basics, move on to learn the basic terms and definitions, then a discussion will be held regarding the students thoughts associated with celebrities with mental disorders and the mental health stigma they have faced.

Week two: Discusses the many different causes of mental disorders involving biology, environment and trauma. They are to watch a video that explain further and also show how common mental illness is. Next, we learn a lesson regarding the many types of stigma associated with mental illness and a discussion on what we can do to stifle stigma in our community. Finally, the students are led to debate their own opinions vs facts about the causes, affects on others and how can mental illness is treated and discuss their findings with the rest of the class. 

Week three: Is a lesson stating the definition, signs and symptoms, categories, facts and myths regarding the most common anxiety disorders. The students then discuss if they think it would be helpful to know the effects and what PTSD is before going through a traumatic event and why? They also have an activity that helps them to recall the lessons objectives regarding the types, differences and commonalities concerning anxiety disorders.

Week four: We will now venture into brain and personality disorders. This lesson is very important as most will deal with a loved one who suffers from some form of dementia in their lifetime. Students are then led to discuss their own experience with brain disorders and they are then to choose, research and share their findings of the chosen disorder in the Personality Disorder Activity.

Week five: This lesson delves into the differences between the many types of mood & eating disorders. There are videos, discussions, a Mental Health App Project that explores the different apps available today to assist us all to take care of ourselves through troubling times and a Self Care Worksheet that shows each student how well they are taking care of themselves and provides a structure for them to put together a plan to better their own mental health care routine. 



Week six: For the last week, we discuss how addictions are related to mental disorders and are a disorder on its own. They will learn how taking drugs can lead to another disorder, PAWS, from the damage done to the body and brain. Then there is a basic breakdown of the most common types of mental health therapies, the students are led to websites that share mental health worksheets and are led to share and discuss their results regarding their favorite websites.