Mental Health Prevention for Teens (14+): Building a Classroom Culture

Description

More than half of teens and young people across the European Union (EU) experience mental health problems (emotional or psychological, such as anxiety, depression, etc.) (Eurobarometer, 2023), and suicidal behavior is the second leading cause of death among people aged 14-29 (Eurostat, 2024).

Evidence shows that today’s youth are reporting poorer psychological well-being than in previous years (OECD, 2025).

The mental health of Europe’s youth is not just a personal concern-it connects the future resilience and strength of our societies.

In this course, teachers will learn how to recognize the risk and protective factors of mental health.

They will be introduced to the bystander effect as a guiding framework to transform passive witnesses into active supporters with an ACT model – Acknowledge, Connect, Transfer.

For example, if a student overhears a hurtful remark disguised as a joke, they can step in using the ACT model: Acknowledge the harm, Connect by checking in with the classmate (“Are you okay? That wasn’t okay.”), and Transfer by guiding them toward a trusted adult or the school’s support pathway.

This shift bystanders from silence to action, lowering the chances that such harmful words contribute to self-harm.

Across the week, participants will practise stigma-reducing classroom strategies, learn how to facilitate safe conversations, and explore practical ways to strengthen peer networks and resilience. The course also clarifies when and how to refer students for professional help, helping schools build a more supportive culture without expecting teachers to act as therapists.

By the end of the course, participants will leave with actionable routines, communication tools and an intervention-focused action plan to support well-being, belonging and help-seeking behaviours in their school community.

Concept by Elena Skafida

Learning outcomes

The course will help participants to:

• Identify early warning signs of mental health problems and emotional distress in adolescents;
• Understand the psychological and social factors that contribute to mental health problems and decrease resilience among young people;
• Apply the bystander effect framework (the ACT model) to shift classroom culture from silence towards active care and responsibility;
• Facilitate an open and stigma-free discussion on mental health in the classroom, creating a safe space for expression;
• Activate peer networks within their classrooms to strengthen resilience and protective factors among students;
• Apply practical intervention strategies to support at-risk students and know when and how to refer them for professional help;
• Promote resilience skills (e.g., problem-solving, stress management, goal setting);
• Develop action plans to foster belonging, mutual support, and positive mental health behaviors among youth.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Understanding the problem

• Overview of Mental Health Problems among young people in Europe;
• Risk factors and protective factors: quick mapping at individual/peer/family/school levels;
• The role of schools and teachers in early prevention;
• Breaking myths and stigma around mental health.

Day 2 – The bystander effect in action – ACT (acknowledge, connect, transfer)

• Introduction to the bystander effect framework;
• The ACT steps in practice: Acknowledge + Connect + Transfer;
• Why do people stay passive, and how to overcome hesitation;
• Case studies of different scenarios;
• Group activities: shifting from silence to action (e.g., choose ACT responses).

Day 3 – Recognize the signs

• Behavioral, emotional, and social warning signs in students;
• Differentiating between normal adolescence and struggles/concerning patterns;
• Practical exercises: role-playing and observation practice;
• How to respond appropriately when warning signs appear.

Day 4 – Building classroom cultures of support

• Mobilizing peer networks for resilience;
• Strategies to reduce stigma and normalize help-seeking;
• Classroom tools for safe conversations on sensitive topics (e.g., language guidelines, dos & don’ts, visibility actions);
• Integrating insights from interventions.

Day 5 – Practical intervention and action planning

• Intervention strategies and referral pathways;
• Establish protocols and referral pathways;
• Personal action plans;
• Reflection, feedback, and commitment to sustaining a culture of care.

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

Download or share

Get weekly recaps on confirmed sessions!