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University of Cambridge

Young People and Mental Health

University of Cambridge and University of Groningen via FutureLearn

Overview

Understand the importance of youth mental health

Mental health problems often develop during the teenage years, with as many as one in five adolescents dealing with these challenges.

Therefore, it’s important that you know how to recognise mental health problems, what you can do to prevent them, and what you should do if you suffer from them.

On this five-week course designed specifically for young people, you’ll explore the most common psychological problems. Through personal stories, quizzes, and short assignments, you’ll develop the techniques to help manage and improve your mental health.

Learn how mental health problems arise

As you learn to identify the symptoms of mental health problems such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and ADHD, you’ll understand that there is no clear line between mentally healthy and not mentally healthy people.

With this knowledge, you’ll delve into what it is that can cause psychological problems including personal, environmental, and genetic factors, to understand how these issues arise in the first place.

Learn from the experts at the University of Groningen and Cambridge University

Once you have an understanding of how and why mental health issues occur, you’ll learn what to do when you experience mental health problems.

This course will arm you with the knowledge to both protect and boost your own mental health. Guided by the experts at The University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, and Cambridge University, you’ll finish the course with the tools to effectively manage your mental wellbeing.

This course is designed for young people aged over 14 who want to know more about mental health.

It might also be of interest to parents, caregivers, teachers, and medical professionals.

Syllabus

  • Introduction mental health & eating disorders
    • Introduction to the course
    • Why do psychological problems often occur in young people?
    • What is a good mental health?
    • When can you speak of psychological problems?
    • How often do psychological problems occur in young people?
    • Introduction to mental health test
    • Introduction to eating disorders
    • What are eating disorders?
    • Why does someone get an eating disorder?
    • How often do eating disorders occur and what are the consequences?
    • Getting help for an eating disorder
    • Conclusion eating disorders
  • Depression & anxiety
    • Introduction to depression
    • What is a depression?
    • How often do depressions occur?
    • Why does someone become depressed?
    • Depression and then what?
    • Conclusion depression
    • Introduction to anxiety
    • Phobias
    • Fear of failure
    • Compulsion
    • Conclusion anxiety
  • Autism & ADHD
    • Introduction to autism
    • What is autism?
    • Why isn't autism just called autism?
    • How does autism start and how do you deal with it?
    • Conclusion autism
    • Introduction to ADHD
    • What is ADHD?
    • What is and what isn't ADHD?
    • Does ADHD occur more often than it used to?
    • What are the causes of ADHD?
    • ADHD and then what?
    • Conclusion ADHD
  • Substance abuse & antisocial behaviour
    • Introduction to substance abuse
    • How many young people use alcohol or drugs
    • Risks of alcohol abuse and other substances
    • Addiction
    • Conclusion substance abuse
    • Introduction to antisocial behaviour
    • Why do young people show more antisocial behaviour?
    • Different groups of young people with antisocial behaviour
    • Conclusion antisocial behaviour
  • Psychosis & resilience
    • Introduction to psychosis
    • What is psychosis?
    • How often do psychoses occur?
    • Why does somebody get psychosis?
    • How do you get psychosis and what can you do about it?
    • Conclusion psychosis
    • Introduction to resilience
    • Resilience and bad experiences
    • How do you increase your resilience?
    • Talking to others
    • Taking good care of yourself
    • Take action!
    • Professional help
    • Conclusion resilience

Taught by

Maaike Meurs

Reviews

4.6 rating, based on 78 Class Central reviews

4.7 rating at FutureLearn based on 689 ratings

Start your review of Young People and Mental Health

  • Anonymous
    This course was obviously developed for learners to understand terms that people bandy about more effectively instead of thinking of them in a more cynical way. Yes, they said what was more complex but they gave you the knowledge of understandin…
  • Anonymous
    This course was really really helpful to me , it was very well presented, it helped me understand more about mental health and the range of mental health issues, from anxiety, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, Depression, OCD, ADHD, drug, alcohol a…
  • I enjoyed studying a difficult topic with qualified teachers. This course has helped me to gain a great knowledge in the area of mental health. I am grateful for the information shared in this course.
  • “Great course, learned a lot, really helpful and great teacher!” “Extremely valuable. It's a lot of material to cover in 5 days, the last 3 days felt rushed.
  • Anonymous
    A really useful course that outlined some of the main mental health difficulties experienced by young people in manageable chunks. I found it particularly helpful to produce lots of videos, as I find that I learn best as an auditory/visual learner! Even though the course is very obviously targeted for young people, I (as a 53 year old) still found it extremely useful, as the advice that was provided for people doing the course can be magpied and used/applied to young people whom I support, including my own children. I find it very helpful to have the transcripts, too, so that I can keep these for my own reference and go back over my learning.
  • Anonymous
    I must confess that this is one of the best online courses I have done. It is very informative but not too worded. It just makes a lot of sense. I have learnt more about a lot of learning difficulties that I often hear about. So receive my thumbs uip. Well done to all the young people who shared their experiences, Tineke Oldehinkel, Catharina Hartman, Hanneke Wigman, Anne-Laura van Harmelen, Paul and everyone that has contributed to the success of this online training courses. I am sorry if I have missed out any name.

    Thank you.


  • Anonymous
    This course was a good introduction to the subject & paves a way to further study as it gives a good insight into the areas affecting young people’s mental health. The links to mental health charities websites also helps in providing information & services available to young people & increased my awareness to access information too.
    The course was easily accessible & easy to navigate I found it interesting & valuable & it has increased my interest & I would like to learn more.
  • Anonymous
    I cannot recommend this course as it is so ableist and portrays Autism and ADHD as a mental health condition. I work with autistic and ADHD children - some of them have co-occurring mental health difficulties and some don’t. This course has not considered how this course might be perceived by autistic and adhd teenagers who are struggling with mental health difficulties. It is very damaging.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    This course was enjoyable, I found the videos really useful and they were in sizable chunks. The advice given were both practical and helpful. It helped to understand a lot more about mental health as well as the varying degrees. It is also comforting to know, that there is help for anyone suffering from mental health.
  • Anonymous
    As an online academic advisor, dealing with young people, I found the course to be very insightful- not too much and not too little information.Easily understood and well planned in a logical sequence. Thanks!!
  • Valerie Behiery
    This course is very well done. Both the content and the staff are very good. I thank everyone involved. Learning about mental health is critically important for everyone.
  • Anonymous
    The course was excellent. Its content was well thought, educative and very much uplifting. It was equally practical in nature. Some topics provided for a healing place, certain areas of my. The videos provided in course were very helpful. The sharing by other participants were so helpful, it provided for a good interaction.
  • Anonymous
    The modules presented were well explained and easy to understand. Many valuable information have been provided. The course has given me good advice on how to strengthen my resilience which will be a good tool for me to use to meet and overcome stressful and negative instances that might come my way. Thank you so much.
  • Anonymous
    The course is a fantastic eye opener to mental health in young adult because of this course I have decided to volunteer at my local organisation. ( place to be).
  • Anonymous
    Loved doing the course. Contained the right level of detail and made use of a variety of learning tools. It has been divided into small manageable sections and gives a good insight into some common mental health conditions. Very well researched and makes use of the latest stats.
  • Anonymous
    I have learnt so many helpful things. Thanks everyone who are involved in this course. My son has autism so I could apply useful techniques to manage him what I have learnt here.

    Hasina.
  • Anonymous
    The course is well divided into manageable chunks therefore it is more enjoyable as not too much information is thrown at you.
  • Anonymous
    Excellent.It has given me a stepping stone to continue further in this field.
    The course was clear and professional
    I would highly recommend it
  • Anonymous
    It's been a terrific learning experience. Learning this course was exciting and stress free, I look forward to more like it.
  • Anonymous
    A beautifully made course that provides useful information in an interactive way. The modules were easy to understand and very well explained. As a teenager, I believe that our struggles with mental health were accurately displayed.

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