Youth Activities

Staying active is important in order to maintain our mental wellbeing. Feel free to use these resources below that will supply youth with many activity ideas for when they need a mental health boost. Use the Stigma-Free Activity Generator to give youth ideas about what to do during their spare time. Scroll down to explore a Situation Shifter activity, Mental Health Activities to use in the classroom, conversation cards for Real Talk about mental health, Stigma-Free tools, and a Mental Health True or False quiz.

Youth Activities at Home

Stigma-Free Activity Generator

Wondering what to do today? Click below for an activity and part of your mission for the day is to complete that task!

Take the Mental Health True or False Quiz

Mental Health Situation Shifter Mental Health in the Classroom Activities Conversation Cards Stigma-Free Tools Mental Health Quizzes

* This Situation Shifter activity was written by Lynsey Henry, Registered Clinical Counsellor and School Counsellor with Surrey Schools, and Dr. Dana Wasserman, Registered Psychologist, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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Stigma-Free Conversation Cards

Below you’ll find our “Conversation Cards” to help you kick-start your conversation with students about Mental Health and Diverse-ability & Inclusion.

1. Simply look at a card and read the question on the front.

2. The other person offers a response.

3. Then discuss the answer together.

Real Talk Questions About Mental Health (Grades 4-7)

What is mental health?

Mental health is part of our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. We all have mental health. Our mental health affects how we think, feel, and behave. It also helps us figure out how we deal with stress, interact with others, and make all kinds of choices. Mental health is important during your whole life.

What is mental illness?

A mental illness is a real health problem that affects the brain. It changes the way you think, feel and behave. Absolutely anyone can have a mental illness. 1 in 4 Canadians will experience some type of mental illness.

What is stigma?

Stigmas are a set of negative judgments that a community or group of people have about a particular situation, characteristic, or person. For example, someone can feel stigma because of their mental illness, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, diverse-abilities (aka disabilities) and much more.

What are the three types of stigma?

• Self-stigma: a negative belief you have about yourself. It can keep you from reaching out for help and support from family, friends, and/or professionals.
• Societal stigma: a negative belief that society has about a specific group of people, usually based on a stereotype (a general assumption).
• Structural stigma: rules that make it hard for people to achieve certain things based on negative beliefs about them.

How can stigma be harmful?

Stigmas can be harmful because they create negative judgments about others because of certain characteristics about them, or simply because of who they are. These judgments can be very hurtful.

How can you help eliminate stigma in school?

You can help eliminate stigma in school by speaking out against stigma when you see it. Help educate your classmates about the unfairness of instant judgment of those who seem “different.” You can change how you refer to people with mental illnesses: for example, instead of saying “she’s bipolar” you can say “she has bipolar disorder”. If there is bullying going on, you can always contact a school counsellor or teacher.

How can you help eliminate stigma in life?

It is important to learn about mental illness. You can work to be aware of how you feel and act, which can be hard. You can look into your judgmental thoughts. Try to teach others as well as pass on facts and positive attitudes. Most of all, treat everyone with respect, and support your friends and those around you.

Is addiction a mental illness?

Addiction is a complicated mental illness that involves the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual parts of a person. It involves a bad relationship with a substance (ex. drugs or alcohol) or activity that is used by the person to make themselves feel better. Sometimes they use it to treat another mental illness.

Can you be addicted to something and have another mental illness at the same time?

Yes, you can. For example, it is very possible for someone to be addicted to alcohol and have depression. (In fact, the person might actually use alcohol to try to make their depression better, then the alcohol becomes a problem itself).

How can you help your friend with mental illness?

If you think your friend has a mental illness, talk to your friend and listen to them. If you feel that your friend is angry or agitated or is threatening to hurt them self or someone else, please talk to an adult immediately – either a parent or guardian, school counsellor, or teacher.

What is depression?

Depression is a mental illness and mood disorder. When you have depression, you experience a sad mood, low energy and fatigue, sleeping and eating too much or not enough, and sometimes thoughts about harming yourself or even death. Good news: depression can get better with therapy and/or medication.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety, or the Anxiety Disorders, are mental illnesses:

Anxiety comes up when we think that something bad is going to happen. You can feel anxiety in your body: you may feel your heart beat fast, or that you cannot breathe (you actually can breathe during anxiety). You may feel hot and sweaty, feel shaky, or feel nauseous. These sensations are signs that your body is getting ready to act: fight, flight, or freeze. They may not feel good, but they cannot hurt you.

Why is it important we talk about mental health?

The first step to breaking the stigma of mental health is talking about it. Talking about it makes the topic normal and when we do, more and more people will start talking about it. When more people reach out for help, they are more likely to get better and get the support they need.

Which is more important, mental health or physical health?

Mental health is just as important as physical health. If we don’t take care of our mental health, our physical health will suffer, and the other way around.

How can we take care of our mental health?

Everyone takes care of their mental health in different ways. It is good to make sure you practice self-care, take breaks, and don’t push yourself too hard. It also helps to stay connected with friends and family so that you don’t feel alone. Use all the resources in this toolkit to take care of your mental wellbeing!

What do you do when you see one of your peers being bullied?

Bullying can be name-calling, saying mean things about people behind their backs, hitting others, and more. When you notice bullying happening to someone you know, make sure not to become the bully yourself. Choose to say “I don’t think that is very nice, and I’m not going to participate in that.” When you can, stand up for your friends. It can be very hard to stand up for yourself when it feels like the world is against you.

Real Talk - Diverse-ability and Inclusion (Grades 4-7)

What does “diverse-ability” mean?

Diverse-ability is another word for disability. “Dis”ability means the opposite of the word ability, which makes us focus on what people with disabilities can’t do, instead of what they CAN do. Diverse-ability means that we all have different abilities, but a certain group of people isn’t more able than the other.

What does inclusion mean and why is it important?

Inclusion means that within a physical space or social setting, everyone is included no matter their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, diverse-abilities or religion.

Inclusion is important because when we exclude others, it is usually because we are stigmatizing them. Being excluded makes people feel lonely or less worthy than other others. The truth is, everyone is worthy and deserves to be treated with respect and without stigma.

What are developmental diverse-abilities?

Developmental disabilities involve difficulty in learning, language, or behavioural areas. They can begin early on in life. They may affect daily tasks and they usually last throughout all of one’s lifetime.

Some developmental disabilities include autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, and learning disabilities.

What are sensory diverse-abilities?

Someone with a sensory diverse-ability has different abilities to do with one or more of their senses (touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell). Sensory diverse-abilities include vision impairment, people who are hard of hearing, and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).

What are learning diverse-abilities?

Someone with a learning diverse-ability finds learning more difficult than others. This doesn’t make them less able! They may just need extra support in reading, writing and spelling. Examples of learning diverse-abilities are dyslexia (difficulty reading) and dyscalculia (difficulty with math).

What are physical diverse-abilities?

Someone with a physical diverse-ability has different movement challenges. This means that they may move and get around in a unique way and may need extra support. Examples of physical diverse-abilities include brain injuries and amputation.

What are the kinds of stigma that people with diverse-abilities (disabilities) face?

People with diverse-abilities may face stigma related to social avoidance, stereotyping, discrimination, condescension, blaming, and internalization. See the following cards for definitions.

What is social avoidance stigma?

People with disabilities may be left out of social activities. They may find that friends become more distant after they develop a disability. People may not want to make eye contact or start a conversation with someone who has a disability that you can see.

What is stereotyping stigma?

People may assume those with disabilities are helpless, unable to take care of themselves, or unable to make their own decisions. For example, people with a speech impairment may be assumed to have other disabilities they don’t have, such as an intellectual disability. These assumptions are negative and untrue.

What is discrimination stigma?

People with disabilities may be denied jobs, housing, or lose opportunities because of stereotypes about disabilities.

What is condescension stigma?

People with disabilities are overprotected due to others thinking they are helpless. They are not helpless, of course.

What is blaming stigma?

People may be blamed for their disability, or they may be accused of using their disability to gain unfair benefits.

What is internalization stigma?

People with disabilities may begin to accept negative beliefs about their disability and because of that, feel ashamed or embarrassed about it.

What can you do if you find yourself the target of classmates’ stigma?

Rather than physically fight back, look for ways to educate your classmates who may not understand about mental illness, and you can let them know how their behaviours are affecting you. Contact a teacher or school counsellor for help in this matter.

What is stigma against the LGBTQ2S+ community? How can we help change this?

Stigma against the LGBTQ2S+ community is a form of social stigma against people because of their gender or sexual orientation. We can help change this by speaking out if you see someone bullying an LGBTQ2S+ youth and going to an adult such as a teacher or a school counsellor, or organizing ways to teach others on LGBTQ2S+ issues.

What is gender identity? Why is there stigma against those who have a different gender identity?

Gender is a social construct and is a spectrum. A social construct means that it was a concept created by society. There is a difference between sex and gender: sex is assigned at birth as female or male based on biology, and gender is each person’s sense of being a girl, a boy, both, neither or anywhere along the gender spectrum. Gender is a spectrum because each person’s experience is unique, there are no set boundaries. Gender identity is each person’s own experience of gender. Pronouns include she/her, he/him, they/them, etc.

Why is there stigma against those who have a different gender identity?

There may be stigma, discrimination and violence against people because of their gender identity if people lack education, understanding and awareness around this topic. We must learn to respect everyone’s individual gender identity.

We’ve been hearing so much about racism in the media. What can we do to help fight racism?

First, you can teach yourself about what racism looks like in our society. You can also get involved in activism and teach others what you learn. When you do this, it makes you feel in control and like you have a connection with people with the same desire: end racism.

What is the difference between racism, discrimination and prejudice?

Prejudice is when someone has certain beliefs, thoughts or feelings about a specific person or group of people. It groups people together and they are usually negative assumptions. Racism is a type of prejudice about race, where someone believes that a certain race is superior to a racial minority. Racism is a system that is very complicated. Discrimination is the actual act or action against a person or group of people based on prejudice.

You know, I’m just a kid. How can my voice make a difference in fighting stigma?

Every voice counts when fighting stigma. The more voices are heard, the greater the impact of those voices fighting against the negative judgment of others.

*The Real Talk Questions About Mental Health Conversation Cards were created by Dr. Dana Wasserman, Registered Psychologist.

* The Diverse-ability and Inclusion Conversation Cards have been reviewed and are supported by Jake Anthony from AutismBC.

Welcome to the Stigma-Free Society’s Online Stigma-Free Tools

The Stigma-Free Tool is a quiz that allows you to assess your views about mental health and helps you recognize any negative judgements, or attitudes. Ready to have look of your thoughts and perceptions?

Click on the Stigma-Free Tool below to Find out More!

The Stigma-Free Pledge is a meaningful oath that you may decide to sign as it encourages you to make a strong commitment to live a Stigma-Free life. What does that mean?

Click on the Stigma-Free Pledge below to Find out More!

Take the Stigma-Free Tool

Take the Stigma-Free Pledge

Stigma-Free Tool Conversation Card

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Stigma-Free Pledge Conversation Card

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Below are a lot of mental health Quizzes that you can take to help you make sense of how you are feeling. Remember, these quizzes don’t count as a diagnosis and you should always talk to your doctor – they will be able to answer all of your questions.

Anxiety

Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED)

This test is a Screen for Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) that all youth can take. You will be asked 40 questions and you will add up your answers to get a score. The score will show you if you may have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder or Significant School Avoidance.

Psych Central Anxiety Quiz

Use this quiz to help you find out if you should see a doctor for anxiety or a panic disorder. Before filling this out, think back about your mood during the past month.

Panic Attack Test

Have you ever had what you thought was a panic attack? This 22-question quiz asks you about anxiety and these attacks to see if you have a panic disorder and should consult a doctor.

Depression

Psych Central Depression Quiz

The Depression Test by Psych Central is a brief 18-question quiz that will help you see if you may have depression. When filling it out, think about how you have felt during the last 7 days.

Bipolar Disorder

Psych Central Bipolar Self Test

Bipolar disorder can be hard to spot because sometimes it is confused with an anxiety disorder or depression. This 9-question quiz will give you an idea about if you may have bipolar disorder.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCD Test

This is an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder screening test to be filled out by parents to find out if their child may have OCD. Note that OCD is sometimes confused with other anxiety disorders.

General Mental Health Tests

Mental Health Meter

This is a great test because it measures your mental health in general. You will be asked several questions and you will be given points for each category – ability to enjoy life, resilience, balance, self-actualization and flexibility. Your score in each will let you know how well you are taking care of your mental health. This is great for all ages, but younger youth may need help from parents.

Psychology Today Mental Health Assessment

Are you thinking of seeing a counsellor? This mental health quiz will let you know what you need to work on and then you can find a therapist through their website, Psychology Today.