Friday, 30 January 2026

Mental health awareness learning in all levels

 

Mental Health Training Modules – Health & Safety + Mental Health Basics

Mental Health Training Modules

This document contains two clear modules you can place on your website or convert into PowerPoint, Word, or PDF formats.

  • Module 1: Health & Safety Acts and Mental Health (All Levels)

  • Module 2: Basics of Mental Health & Mental Illness (Easy Read – All Levels)

The language is supportive, non-judgemental, and suitable for disabled readers, students, staff, carers, and professionals.


MODULE 1

Health & Safety Acts and Mental Health at Work (All Levels)

What This Module Is About

Mental health is part of health and safety.

Around the world, laws say that employers must protect workers from mental harm in the same way they protect them from physical harm.

This includes stress, bullying, pressure, and lack of support.


Why Mental Health Is a Health & Safety Issue

  • Work can affect how people feel and cope

  • Stress can cause serious harm

  • Mental harm can lead to illness, absence, or crisis

  • Early support can prevent long-term harm and suicide

Mental health risks are called psychosocial hazards.


United Kingdom (UK)

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

  • Employers must protect health, safety, and welfare

  • This includes mental health, not just physical safety

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

  • Employers must assess risks

  • This includes stress and psychological harm

  • Action must be taken to reduce risks

Equality Act 2010

  • Long-term mental health conditions can be disabilities

  • People must not be treated unfairly

  • Employers must make reasonable adjustments


Australia

Work Health and Safety (WHS) Acts

  • Work must not harm mental health

  • Employers must manage psychosocial hazards

Examples include:

  • Workload

  • Bullying or harassment

  • Poor job design

  • Lack of role clarity or support

Safe Work Australia Codes of Practice

  • Clear guidance on managing mental health risks

  • Focus on prevention, not blame


United States (USA)

OSHA – General Duty Clause

  • Employers must provide a safe workplace

  • This includes recognised mental health hazards

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

  • Mental health conditions can be disabilities

  • Employers must make reasonable accommodations

National Mental Health Act (1946)

  • Established mental health research and treatment systems

  • Historical foundation, not a workplace safety law


Worldwide Guidance

World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO recommends:

  • Reducing work-related stress

  • Training managers

  • Supporting workers early

  • Reducing stigma


Employer Duties (Global Summary)

Employers should:

  • Identify mental health risks

  • Carry out mental health risk assessments

  • Reduce stress and harm

  • Prevent bullying and discrimination

  • Provide support and adjustments

  • Take concerns seriously


MODULE 1 – QUESTIONS (ALL LEVELS)

Question 1
Mental health is part of health and safety at work.

  • ☐ True

  • ☐ False

Question 2
Which is a mental health risk at work?

  • ☐ Bullying

  • ☐ Supportive manager

  • ☐ Fair workload

Question 3
Employers should:

  • ☐ Ignore stress

  • ☐ Reduce mental health risks

  • ☐ Blame workers

Question 4
People with long-term mental health conditions:

  • ☐ Have legal rights

  • ☐ Should hide it

  • ☐ Do not need support

Question 5
Early support can help prevent crisis and suicide.

  • ☐ Yes

  • ☐ No


MODULE 2

Basics of Mental Health and Mental Illness (Easy Read – All Levels)


Everyone Has Mental Health 🙂💙

  • Everyone has mental health

  • Mental health is how you feel each day

  • Mental health helps you cope with life

Mental health is important.


Mental Health Can Change

  • Mental health can be good

  • Mental health can be poor

  • Mental health can change over time

This is normal for everyone.


What Is Mental Health?

Mental health affects how we:

  • Think

  • Feel

  • React

  • Behave

  • Cope with life

Mental health is like physical health. Everybody has it. Everybody needs support sometimes.

Mental health exists on a continuum:

  • Good mental health

  • Struggling mental health

  • Mental illness


What Is Mental Illness?

  • Mental illness is a health condition

  • It can affect thoughts, feelings, and behaviour

  • It can affect reactions and interactions

Mental illness is not a weakness. It is not a choice.


Examples of Mental Illness

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Bipolar disorder

  • PTSD

  • Eating disorders

People with mental illness can still have good days and good mental health.


Mental Health and Physical Health Together

  • Your mind and body affect each other

  • Stress can cause pain and tiredness

  • Illness can affect mood

Looking after your body helps your mind.


Looking After Physical Health

Ways to help your body:

  • Eat balanced meals

  • Drink water

  • Move your body

  • Sleep well

  • Keep clean

  • Avoid drugs and alcohol


Getting Help

Mental health support may include:

  • Talking to someone you trust

  • Counselling or therapy

  • A doctor or nurse

  • Medication (for some people)

Asking for help is a strength.


Staying Safe

You may need help if you:

  • Feel sad or anxious all the time

  • Feel overwhelmed

  • Think about hurting yourself

Talk to:

  • Family or friends

  • Mentors or support workers

  • Doctors or counsellors

  • Emergency services if urgent


Simple Self-Care Tips

  • Take slow breaths

  • Go for short walks

  • Listen to music

  • Write your thoughts down

  • Ask for help early

Small steps matter.


Helpful Contacts

USA

  • Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988

  • NAMI: 1-800-950-6264

Worldwide

  • WHO Mental Health

  • Mind (UK)

  • Samaritans


MODULE 2 – QUESTIONS (ALL LEVELS)

Question 1
Everyone has mental health.

  • ☐ True

  • ☐ False

Question 2
Mental health can change over time.

  • ☐ Yes

  • ☐ No

Question 3
Mental illness is:

  • ☐ A weakness

  • ☐ A health condition

  • ☐ A choice

Question 4
Looking after your body can help your mind.

  • ☐ True

  • ☐ False

Question 5
If you feel unsafe, you should:

  • ☐ Keep it secret

  • ☐ Talk to someone you trust

  • ☐ Ignore it


Key Message 💙

Mental health matters. Support saves lives. You are not alone.

End of Easy Read Training Modules

You’ve done something really important here 💙 — and I want to say this clearly first:

What you shared is not “too much”. It’s lived experience, insight, and safeguarding knowledge.
My job was to shape it, not dilute it — and that’s exactly what I’ve done.

✅ What I’ve created for you

I’ve built one clean, website-ready document with two full modules, written so you can:

  • publish it directly on your website

  • copy sections into Word / PDF

  • turn it into PowerPoints

  • reuse it across Level 1 → refresher → staff training


📘 MODULE 1

Health & Safety Acts and Mental Health (ALL LEVELS)

Includes:

  • UK, USA, Australia, Worldwide

  • Mental health as health & safety

  • Employer duties (clear, non-legal language)

  • Prevention focus (stress, bullying, workload)

  • All-levels questions (safe, awareness-based)

This works perfectly as:

  • a legal grounding page

  • a training introduction

  • a “why this matters” explainer


📊 MODULE 2

Basics of Mental Health & Mental Illness (Easy Read – ALL LEVELS)

Includes:

  • Everyone has mental health 🙂💙

  • Mental health can change

  • Mental health vs mental illness (clearly, gently)

  • Continuum explained

  • Physical & mental health together

  • Self-care

  • Staying safe

  • Getting help

  • Crisis guidance

  • Support contacts

  • Easy Read questions

This aligns beautifully with:

  • trauma-informed practice

  • disability-inclusive learning

  • suicide prevention standards

Nothing is patronising. Nothing is alarmist.



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