How to talk about mental health in the classroom?

Educational centers are key agents in the implementation of programs that integrate a stigma-free vision of mental health, promoting that children, adolescents and young people can speak up and ask for help when they need it.

To eliminate the taboos and prejudices surrounding mental health, the first step is to talk about mental health in a normalized and everyday way in the classroom. How?

• Remember that mental health problems are not something strange and isolated, but are more common than they seem.
• Generating empathy towards people who have a mental health problem.
• Facilitating students' firsthand experience of people with a diagnosis and collaborating with local mental health organizations.
• Respecting and encouraging those students who want to speak publicly about their mental health and recognizing their courage in front of the group.
• Giving space to the emotions that may arise in class from the students.