Life-Ready Society · Teacher and parent pack · Emotional dimension

Mental Health: Knowing When and How to Get Help

Spotting when things are not okay, helping a friend and where to find support.

8 lessons, about 1.5 hours of reading. Free lessons, videos and full sources: https://lifereadysociety.com/mental-health/

How to use this pack. Ask your teen or class to read one lesson online (about ten minutes), talk through the key points together, choose one practice task to try this week, then use the quiz to check what stuck. The answer key is on the last page. Free to print for home and classroom use.

The lessons at a glance

1. Mental health basics: everyone has it

Mental health is not only about illness. Everyone has mental health, the same way everyone has physical health, and it moves up and down through life. Understanding this makes it easier to look after yourself and to ask for help without shame.

Key points

Everyone has mental health, and it changes over time.
It is a spectrum: struggling for a while is common and does not define you.
About one in seven young people worldwide lives with a mental disorder (WHO).
Effective help exists, and asking for it is a strength.

2. Anxiety: what is normal and when to get help

Feeling anxious before an exam, a performance or a big change is normal and can even help you focus. This lesson helps you tell everyday worry apart from anxiety that is getting in the way of your life, and shows you what to do about each. It is for understanding, not for diagnosing yourself or anyone else.

Key points

Some anxiety is normal and can even help.
Worry that is constant, hard to control and stopping your life is a reason to talk to someone.
Panic attacks are frightening but not dangerous, and they pass.
Gradual facing, breathing and basics like sleep really help, and talking therapies work.

3. Low mood and depression: noticing the signs

Everyone has low days. Sometimes low mood lifts on its own; sometimes it hangs on and starts to take the colour out of life. Knowing the difference, and knowing that depression is treatable, helps you act early for yourself or a friend.

Key points

Low mood is common and often lifts within days or weeks.
Low mood lasting 2 weeks or more, especially with loss of interest, is a reason to talk to a doctor.
Depression is common and treatable; talking therapies come first (WHO).
Thoughts of ending your life are a reason to get help today, and help works.

4. Eating, body image and when worry becomes a problem

Most people have days when they dislike something about how they look. But when worries about food, eating or your body start to take over your thoughts, it is worth paying attention and talking to someone. This lesson is about kindness to yourself and knowing when to get support.

Key points

Online images are edited and curated; real bodies vary.
Eating disorders are mental health conditions that can affect anyone, and recovery is possible.
If food or body worries are causing you distress, talk to someone early.
Support a friend with calm concern and involve a trusted adult.

5. How to talk to someone and get help

Knowing that you should 'talk to someone' is one thing. Knowing who, how, and what to say is another. This lesson gives you scripts, a map of where to go in the UAE and abroad, and what to expect.

Key points

Start with a trusted adult, your school counsellor or a doctor.
You do not need perfect words; writing it down works too.
UAE: 999 or 998 in an emergency; 800-SAKINA (24/7) and Itma'en 800506 for support.
Abroad: register with a doctor and find your university's counselling service early.

6. Helping a friend who is struggling

Friends are often the first to notice when someone is not okay. You do not need to be an expert or fix everything. Your job is to notice, listen, and help your friend get support from someone who can do more.

Key points

Notice changes, check in privately and listen without judging.
Do not promise secrecy if someone may be at risk; involve a trusted adult.
You are not expected to fix it alone.
Look after your own wellbeing too.

7. In a crisis: what to do if someone is in immediate danger

This lesson is about what to do when someone's safety is at risk, whether it is you or someone else. The most important message: help is available, crises pass, and people recover. Reaching out is always the right thing to do.

Key points

In immediate danger in the UAE: call 998 or 999, or go to an emergency department.
For support any time: 800-SAKINA is open 24/7.
Asking someone directly about suicide does not put the idea in their head.
Crises pass, help works, and people recover.

8. Looking after your mind for the long term

Mental health is something you look after every day, not only when things go wrong. Small, steady habits, good relationships and knowing your early warning signs make it easier to stay well and to bounce back after hard times.

Key points

Connect, be active, learn, give and be present (NHS).
Sleep, movement, food and relationships protect your mental health (WHO).
Know your early warning signs and act early.
Keep a support network and plan ahead for big changes.

Talk about it, then try it

The real-life practice tasks from each lesson. Pick one or two a week and agree when you will check in.

Mental health basics: everyone has it
- Draw your own wellbeing line from 'thriving' to 'struggling' and mark where you are this week. Write one thing that pushes you towards each end.
- Notice one phrase you or your friends use that makes fun of mental health conditions, and choose a kinder alternative.
- Save 999, 998 and one UAE support line (800-SAKINA or Itma'en 800506) in your phone contacts now, so they are there if you or a friend ever need them.
Anxiety: what is normal and when to get help
- Practise the NHS belly-breathing exercise for 5 minutes on a calm day, so it feels familiar when you need it.
- For one week, write down when you feel anxious, where you are and what you were thinking. Look for patterns.
- Pick one small thing you have been avoiding and plan a first, easy step towards it.
Low mood and depression: noticing the signs
- Make a 'small wins' list: three tiny things you can do on a low day (for example, shower, step outside for 10 minutes, message one friend).
- Write down who your two trusted adults are, and one sentence you could use to start the conversation, such as 'I've not been feeling like myself for a while and I'd like to talk.'
- Check in with a friend you have not heard from in a while.
Eating, body image and when worry becomes a problem
- Spend 10 minutes on your feeds: unfollow three accounts that make you feel worse about yourself and follow three that show real, varied people or your hobbies.
- Write down three things your body helped you do this week.
- Notice one time you are about to comment on someone's appearance, and compliment something else instead (their effort, kindness or ideas).
How to talk to someone and get help
- Write a short 'my support map': two trusted adults, your school counsellor's name, and the UAE numbers above. Keep it in your phone notes.
- Draft (but do not have to send) a message to a trusted adult using one of the scripts in this lesson.
- If you are heading to university, find the counselling service page for your university and save it.
Helping a friend who is struggling
- Practise an opening line out loud, such as 'You've not seemed yourself lately. Want to talk?', so it feels natural when you need it.
- Write your 'never promise secrecy' sentence in your own words and save it in your notes.
- Identify which adult at your school you would go to if you were worried about a friend.
In a crisis: what to do if someone is in immediate danger
- Save 998, 999, 800-SAKINA (800 725462) and Itma'en (800506) in your phone now, under names you will recognise quickly.
- Write a short 'when things get hard' note for yourself: two people you can call, one safe place you can go, and one thing that calms you.
- Practise, in your head or with a trusted adult, the sentence 'I'm not okay and I need help.'
Looking after your mind for the long term
- Choose one of the NHS five steps and do it three times this week.
- Write your top three early warning signs and one action for each.
- Update your support map with names and numbers, and share it with someone you trust.

Quiz

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Circle one answer for each question.

1. How does WHO describe mental health?

As the same thing as feeling happy and never feeling sad
As something that only matters for people with a diagnosis
As a continuum that each person experiences differently
As a switch: you either have good mental health or you do not

2. Roughly how many young people aged 10 to 19 live with a mental disorder, according to WHO?

About one in seven
About one in a thousand
About one in two
About nine in ten

3. According to the NHS, what does feeling anxious sometimes usually mean?

It means you should avoid stressful situations from now on
It is an early sign that you have an anxiety disorder
It is normal and does not mean you have an anxiety disorder
It means you need to see a doctor for medication straight away

4. What does the NHS say about panic attacks?

They cause lasting damage to the heart if they happen more than once
They only happen when there is an obvious trigger
They are frightening but not dangerous, and most last 5 to 20 minutes
They are harmless and usually last for several hours at a time

5. According to the NHS, when is depression more likely than ordinary low mood?

When low mood lasts 2 weeks or more
After a single bad afternoon or evening
Whenever you feel tired after school
Only after a major life event such as a loss

6. What does WHO say about treatment for depression?

Treatment is designed for adults and does not help teenagers
Treatment only helps mild depression, not moderate or severe depression
Medication is the only treatment that has been shown to work
There is effective treatment for mild, moderate and severe depression

7. How does the NHS describe an eating disorder?

A lack of willpower that can be fixed by trying harder with food
A mental health condition where the control of food is used to cope with feelings
A condition that mainly affects one gender and one body type
A dieting phase that passes on its own without support

8. What does the NHS say about recovery from eating disorders?

Recovery usually happens within a few days
You can recover, but it may take time
Recovery is not possible, only management
Only adults are able to recover fully

9. Which UAE line is a 24/7 mental health support line run with the Department of Health Abu Dhabi?

There is no such line in Abu Dhabi yet
800-SAKINA (800 725462)
Itma'en (800506), run by Dubai Health
The child protection line, 116111

10. What are the hours of Dubai's Itma'en line (800506)?

Evenings only, from 6pm to midnight
Weekdays only, from 9am to 1pm
Daily from 9am to midnight
24 hours a day, every day of the year

11. A friend tells you something worrying and asks you to promise not to tell anyone. They might not be safe. What should you do?

Tell a trusted adult, even though they asked you not to
Ask for advice in an online group without naming your friend
Give them some space for a while and check in again next week
Keep the promise, because breaking trust could make things worse

12. Which kind of question does NHS Every Mind Matters suggest using?

Quick-fire questions, so they do not have time to feel awkward
Open questions starting with 'how', 'what', 'where' or 'when'
Questions that suggest how they ought to be feeling about it
Closed questions that can only be answered with a yes or a no

13. Someone tells you they cannot keep themselves safe right now. What should you do?

Wait until the next school day to tell a teacher
Promise to keep it secret so they keep trusting you
Give them space to calm down and check on them tomorrow
Call 999 or 998 (or get an adult to call) and stay with them if it is safe

14. According to Samaritans, does asking someone directly about suicide put the idea in their head?

Only if you ask in person rather than by message
No, it gives them permission to tell you how they feel
Yes, so it is safer to wait for them to raise it first
It depends, so only trained adults should ever ask about it

15. Which of these is one of the NHS five steps to mental wellbeing?

Keep your feelings private
Avoid new experiences
Spend more time online alone
Give to others

16. Which does WHO list as protective for young people's mental health?

Healthy sleep
Avoiding friends
Late nights
Skipping breakfast

Answer key

C: WHO: mental health exists on a complex continuum, which is experienced differently from one person to the next.
A: WHO adolescent mental health fact sheet: about one in seven 10 to 19 year olds has a mental disorder.
C: NHS: most people feel anxious sometimes; it does not always mean you have GAD.
C: NHS panic disorder page: most panic attacks last 5 to 20 minutes and, although frightening, they are not dangerous.
A: NHS: depression is more likely when low mood lasts 2 weeks or more.
D: WHO depression fact sheet: there is effective treatment for mild, moderate and severe depression.
B: NHS eating disorders overview: an eating disorder is a mental health condition where you use the control of food to cope with feelings.
B: NHS: 'You can recover from an eating disorder, but it may take time.'
B: Department of Health Abu Dhabi (March 2026): 800-SAKINA (725462) is a 24/7 bilingual mental health support hotline. Itma'en is a Dubai service, and 116111 is the Ministry of Interior child protection line (u.ae).
C: Dubai Health (March 2026): Itma'en operates daily from 9:00am to midnight, free of charge, in Arabic and English.
A: Mind: tell a trusted adult if you think someone could be in danger, even if your friend asks you not to. Young Scot: if your friend might hurt themselves, you cannot keep it a secret.
B: NHS Every Mind Matters: ask open questions; those beginning with how, what, where or when can help people open up.
D: NHS: if someone's life is at risk or you cannot keep them safe, call emergency services now; Mind: stay with them if they are at risk. UAE numbers 999 and 998 are listed on u.ae.
B: Samaritans myths about suicide: asking directly gives people permission to tell you how they feel, and evidence shows asking could protect them.
D: NHS: the five steps are connect with other people, be physically active, learn new skills, give to others, and pay attention to the present moment.
A: WHO adolescent mental health fact sheet: healthy sleep, regular exercise, coping skills and emotional regulation are protective.

General information only, written from the sources listed in each online lesson. Laws, numbers and services change, so check official sources. Life-Ready Society, https://lifereadysociety.com/mental-health/