2 How to start a conversation about mental health
Nowadays, mental health is talked about more openly and positively. Starting conversations about mental health with adult learners can be done in a range of ways; a best practice model does not exist. Rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach, conversations are best started by considering individual needs and circumstances.
Activity _unit4.3.1 Activity 2 Facilitating mental health conversations
Part 1 How to support mental health conversations
Think about how you might start a conversation with adult learners about their mental health. From the grid below, note the elements which you feel are important. Are there any which particularly resonate with you? Why do you think that is?
| Providing an interruption-free environment | Employing gentle persistence | Ensuring safe, non-triggering conversations | Using positive language |
| Sharing of anonymised examples of similar situations | Using inclusive language | Having knowledge of support systems for signposting | Ensuring both educator and learner have sufficient time |
| Providing reassurance and encouragement to continue talking | Conveying belief that recovery is possible | Considering the boundaries of your educator role | Considering power imbalances between educator and learner |
| Pro-actively addressing confidentiality | Avoiding comparison and competition | Using open questions | Focusing on feelings and psychological aspects of mental health |
Discussion
As you will have discovered, all these elements influence conversations about mental health with adult learners. There are no right or wrong answers and neither is this list inexhaustible. Your priorities are personalised to your own journey in learning about mental health needs so do take time to consider what you have prioritised, and why these are important to you.
Part 2 Practising with a case study
Select one of the Case studies and think about how you might start a conversation about mental health with that person. Revisit the grid above and consider how you might apply these elements to support your selected Case study learner.
Part 3 Mental health disclosure
Watch the following Open University video ‘We did it! The role of study support in student success’ and observe how mental health illness and associated educational barriers are disclosed by learners to their peers. Focusing on the dialogue between the learners, try to identify elements from the grid above that have been applied to make these conversations supportive.
A useful resource can be found in the charity MIND’s ‘Mental health champions toolkit’: see the section on How to have conversations about mental health (Annex F of the Toolkit document).