Mental Health for All
Transforming youth mental health worldwide.
Over 1 billion people worldwide are living with a mental health condition. A recent study of 29 countries led by Harvard Medical School and University of Queensland concluded that 1 out of every 2 people globally will experience a mental health challenge in their lifetime. This global mental health crisis is having devastating impacts on youth. Far too many young people lack access to mental health care and face stigma that prevents them from seeking help.
EDC’s Mental Health for All curriculum prepares non-clinicians in low-, middle-, and high-resource countries to deliver scalable, effective mental health education and skills training that helps youth thrive. The package is designed to be administered by teachers, paraprofessionals, trainers, and other supportive adults as part of a task sharing approach to addressing unmet mental health needs.
Mental Health for All centers on the belief that every young person is capable of learning effective self-help approaches that can help prevent mental health disorders from forming or worsening. The education and training package draws on multiple, evidence-based practices that are proven to reduce mental health symptoms, increase coping skills, and improve overall resilience.
Key components include:
- Virtual or in person training that prepares teachers, paraprofessionals, trainers, and other supportive adults to use the 16-hour core curriculum and optional modules.
- Seven core curriculum modules on developing emotional awareness; understanding the building blocks of mental health; managing depressed feelings; managing anxious feelings; coping with adversity; controlling anger; and developing a mental health wellness plan.
- Five optional modules on resilience after trauma; managing emotions without drugs and alcohol; alternatives to violence; preventing and healing from emotional crises; and sleeping better.
- Three delivery options: Interactive Audio Instruction (radio or tablet); Audio and Video; AV and Touchscreens.
- Monitoring and evaluation, using evidence-based outcome measurement tools to assess specific impacts on youth mental health resulting from the intervention.
