New Resources for Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental Health Awareness Week takes place this year from 9th May to 15th May, and the theme for 2022 is loneliness. The experience of feeling lonely, its effect on mental health and how schools and colleges can reduce loneliness in their community are a feature of the week  The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families has produced a toolkit of resources that schools and colleges can use to support them in delivering meaningful lessons and open those discussions with children and young people.

Schools and colleges can explore this theme in a number of ways – getting students thinking about their friendships, relationships and support systems, about how best to support others, and self-care strategies to employ if they ever feel lonely.

In the toolkit, there are links to a number of resources to help schools and colleges highlight the theme of loneliness and open up wider discussions about wellbeing with students. After the disruption to their studies and in this time of anxiety as we lead up to the examinations season, this is a time to ensure they know who they can turn to.