Introduction to the course

LIZANNE SCHWEREN: Welcome to this course about mental health for young people. Before telling you what this course is all about, I would like to introduce you to the people who have contributed. This course was developed by researchers from the University Medical Centre Groningen in the Netherlands and the University of Cambridge. Researchers from the University of Groningen and other Dutch universities have also helped develop this course. The course contains personal stories, among others. Most of these stories will be acted. You will see the actors appear throughout the course. What are we going to do in this course? Using personal stories, animations, quizzes, and interviews, you will learn about mental health, and you will learn how to recognise common mental health problems.

Moreover, you will learn about strategies you can apply to prevent mental health problems and you will learn what to do when you yourself are struggling. We hope that recognising mental health problems early and knowing what to do will help you resolve problems more quickly. The course consists of 10 modules of 45 minutes each. This first module is an introduction to mental health in young people. We will address questions, such as, why do mental health problems develop, especially in adolescence? What is good mental health? What is the difference between normal teenage struggles and mental health problems? How often do mental health problems occur?

In the next eight modules, you will learn about various common mental health problems, such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, autism, ADHD, substance use disorder, antisocial behaviours, and psychosis. Finally, in the 10th module, you will learn what you can do to boost your mental health. This is important even if you do not suffer from mental health problems. You can compare it to taking care of your physical health. It is important to eat healthy, even when you’re not ill, right? We hope you enjoy the course, and good luck.