Summary of the platform
Mental Health Basic
Imagine you’re working with a group of young people—some are outgoing and confident, others are quiet and seem a bit distant. You know they’re all navigating the highs and lows of growing up: school pressure, friendships, family struggles, social media, and everything in between. Now imagine giving them something truly powerful—not a quick fix, not therapy—but the knowledge and tools to understand and take care of their own mental well-being. That’s what mental health literacy is all about.
Mental health literacy isn’t just about knowing the names of mental health conditions like depression or anxiety. It goes much deeper. It’s about helping young people recognize what mental health actually is, how to protect it, and when something might be off—not just in themselves, but in their friends too. It’s about equipping them with the confidence to ask for help, the words to describe how they feel, and the empathy to support others.
From an academic perspective, mental health literacy is often described as having a few key parts. First, it’s knowing how to keep your mind healthy—like how getting good sleep, eating well, moving your body, and staying connected to others can actually protect your mental health. Then, it’s also being able to recognize when something feels off, like feeling constantly low or anxious, and understanding that these are valid, common experiences—not something to be ashamed of.
Another important part is learning where to go for help—whether it’s a school counselor, a youth worker, a trusted adult, or even just a friend. And finally, it’s about breaking the silence. One of the biggest barriers to young people getting help is stigma—the fear of being judged or misunderstood. Mental health literacy helps break that down. It gives young people the language to talk about mental health in an open, supportive, and stigma-free way.
In youth work, we don’t always need to be experts or therapists. But we do need to create safe spaces, ask the right questions, and offer guidance when needed. When we include mental health literacy in our programs—whether it’s through workshops, games, creative expression, or simple check-ins—we’re giving young people life skills they’ll carry into adulthood.
So whether you’re running a sports club, organizing a youth exchange, or just hanging out in the youth center, think of mental health literacy as planting seeds: seeds of understanding, self-awareness, and resilience. And the best part? These seeds grow—into stronger, healthier, more compassionate young people who know how to take care of themselves and each other.
Mental health vs mental illness
What is mental health?
Mental health is the foundation of how we think, feel, and connect with the world around us. It shapes our ability to handle stress, build relationships and make decisions. Just like physical health, it needs care and attention at every stage of life, from childhood to adulthood.
But mental health isn’t just personal, it affects our communities. When we prioritize well-being, we create stronger, more connected societies where people can thrive. It’s not a luxury or an afterthought, it’s a fundamental part of a healthy, fulfilling life.
What is mental illness?
Mental illness, or a mental disorder, happens when there’s a serious disruption in thoughts, emotions, or behaviors. These conditions aren’t just about having a “bad day”, they can impact daily life, relationships and overall well-being. That’s why professional support is often necessary for diagnosis and treatment.
Talking about mental health shouldn’t be uncomfortable or taboo. The more we open up these conversations, the easier it becomes for people to seek the help they need. Mental health matters, and everyone deserves to feel supported on their journey.
Language appropriate approach
How we communicate plays a vital role in shaping perceptions, attitudes and understandings. Through our communication styles and choice of language, we can either uplift and empower — or perpetuate stigmas and misconceptions. As youth workers, it is crucial to understand the preferred and problematic ways of communicating mental health, and be aware of proper definitions of elements of mental health and mental health literacy. For these purposes, we have created a list of terms that you will often see within the content of this platform, that can help you to adequately address mental health literacy, as a part of youth work practice.
Use stigma-free language
Stay Informed
Be mindful of your impact
Refer to reliable resources
The biggest problem in language-appropriate approaches towards mental health literacy presents the fact that terminology related to certain, often severe conditions is misused and can lead to higher stigma or wrongful labeling. We have prepared a list of examples that can help you distinguish the basics of MHL terminology.
Practice mindful language in youth work
Finally, it is important to not only know these terms, but also use them very carefully. Stigma surrounding mental health can contribute to worsening symptoms and even prevent people from seeking the care they need. And how we communicate about mental health illustrates how far we’ve come and how far we have left to go. This is why we have compiled a list of examples of preferred versus problematic language, that can help you practice mindful language in youth work. We encourage you to not only use this inclusive approach, but also promote it among the youth you work with, as they should incorporate it in daily life. To access the handout, click on the following document:
MHL pyramid
When we do not use words that appropriately describe how we are feeling we run the risk of making light of major concerns. We all have mental health, and part of improving mental health literacy is making sure we, as youth workers, use appropriate words to describe components of mental health and mental illness. In this regard, we have identified the Mental Health Pyramid, which simply describes different levels of MH. To develop it further, we will explain to you what these levels represent.
- The first layer, representing the bottom of the pyramid are people who do not have mental distress, mental problem or mental disorder. This is also the group within the pyramid that is the most numerous. These people are usually the ones who can experience mental distress (explained in the following text), but this happens occasionally and it is not a permanent, or often-repeating state.
- The second largest group of people represent people who experience mental distress. This is the completely normal state, which occurs due to the everyday’s stressors and refers to temporary emotional or psychological discomfort that is natural.
- Mental health problem refers to a broader, more general term that refers to when a person’s thinking, emotions, or behavior are negatively affected over a period of time — enough to impact their functioning, wellbeing, or relationships, but not always reaching the level of a diagnosed disorder.
- Mental disorder is a clinically diagnosable condition that significantly affects a person’s thinking, emotions, behavior, or ability to function in daily life. It’s defined using standardized criteria (like the DSM-5 or ICD-11) by medical or mental health professionals. Unlike mental distress and mental health problems it is a persistent state, with recognizable symptoms and needing professional treatment.
With a purpose of structuring the MHL educational program, we will use the conceptual framework that focuses on mental health state’s recognition, prevention and management. Under recognition, we emphasize a) recognition of different MH conditions and states and b) attitudes which facilitate recognition and help seeking.
disorder
/illness
problem
Developing mental health literacy is not only about understanding concepts—it is also about learning how to recognize what we feel in the moment and respond in a supportive way. Simple, guided practices such as breathing, grounding, and mindful awareness can help us pause, regulate stress, and reconnect with ourselves. These short videos offer practical tools that anyone can use as part of daily life. The aim is not to “fix” or remove emotions, but to create space to notice them with more clarity and less pressure.
These techniques encourage:
1. noticing physical and emotional signals,
2. slowing down when things feel overwhelming,
3. and building personal strategies for self-care.
You can try them at your own pace, whenever you need a moment to reset or reflect.
