1. 2nd February 2017 Form time session
Section Title
Conversations change lives
2nd February 2017
Form time session
Length of session: 20 minutes

2. Time to Talk
Today is Time to Talk Day when we are having conversations about mental health in our school.
28% of young people with mental health problems said negative reactions from others had made them want to give up on life.
Together we can change the way we all think and act about mental health.
Explain that Time to Change ran a survey with 541 young people with experience of mental health problems that found they still face stigma and discrimination from the people in their lives. Having more conversations about mental health can help us all.

3. Time to Talk
“Everyone takes time to recover, whether it’s from a physical illness or a mental illness and you shouldn’t be treated any different either way”
Chris ? ?
Explain that mental health affects us all. Ask the students what they would do to support a friend with a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety or an eating disorder.

4. Time to Talk
“Did you know that everyone has mental health?”
“Which one of these is not a mental health problem: depression,
anxiety, anorexia, diabetes?”
“How are you today?”
“What have you been up to recently?”
“What have been the challenges and highlights of the last week?”
“Which of these things helps you to feel better if you’ve had a tough day: getting enough sleep, being listened to, exercise, creativity, something else?”
Ask all the students to stand up and go and sit next to someone they do not speak to as much on a regular basis. Ask them to sit next to each other and have a chat for 5 minutes about any of the questions listed. There are some starting questions on the screen but explain they can talk in whatever way they feel comfortable. There is no one way of having a conversation about mental health.
More information is available at
“What ideas do you have about how to support a friend through a tough time?”

5. Time to Talk
Ask everyone to come back together. Explain that people are having conversations about mental health across the country all day, talking around the clock, and logging them on Time to Change’s website to see the impact we are having together. Click on the clock to log the conversations everyone has had.

6. Time to Talk
It is important to look after your mental health and seek help if you need it.
You can talk to anyone in the school, any time of the day, any time of the year.
Conversations change lives.
Highlight the mental health provision in your school. Explain that it is okay to not feel okay and young people can seek help from an adult they trust, like a teacher, school nurse or classroom assistant. Together, the school community will support each other.

7. Section Title
Thank You