Catechist Resources
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Mental Health and our Youth -
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The sanctuary youth series
This series is centered on the pressing questions that young people are asking about faith and mental health. It provides space to engage these questions and start important conversations in youth ministries and church communities. Drawing on insights from mental health professionals, theologians, youth pastors, and evidence-based research, this educational and interactive resource also features the voices of young Christians with lived experiences of mental health challenges in the films that accompany each session.
The course is designed to reduce stigma, increase awareness within faith communities, increase positive attitudes towards help-seeking and mental health care, and prepare students for a faith journey that includes seasons of flourishing and languishing.
The series are 8 sessions with video and leader guide.
Session 1: What's Good About Mental Health?
Session 2: What does the Bible say about mental health?
Session 3: Why do I feel this way?
Session 4: What happens when we talk about mental health challenges?
Session 5: If you have a mental health challenge, can you get better?
Session 6: How can I help my friend?
Session 7: What can I do to take care of my mental health?
Session 8: How does this all connect?
Please contact our office if you are interested in more information on how to use this resource in your parish community! Facilitator guides and other material available.
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Warning signs and symptomsWarning Signs and Symptoms | Obtained from the National Alliance on Mental HealthTrying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the sign of a mental illness isn't always easy. There's no easy test that can let someone know if there is a mental illness or if actions and thoughts might be typical behaviors of a person or the result of a physical illness.
Each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:- Excessive worry or fear
- Feeling excessively sad or low
- Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
- Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable "highs" or feelings of euphoria
- Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
- Avoiding friends and social activities
- Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
- Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
- Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
- Difficulty in perceiving reality (delusions, hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don't exist in objective reality)
- Inability to perceive changes in one's own feelings, behavior or personality (lack of insight)
- Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
- Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing "aches and pains"
- Thinking about suicide
- Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
- An intense fear of weight gain or concern for appearance
Mental Health conditions can also begin to develop in young children. Because they are still learning how to identify and talk about thoughts and emotions, their most obvious symptoms are behavioral.
Symptoms in children may include the following:- Changes in School Performance
- Excessive worry or anxiety, for instance fighting to avoid bed or school
- Hyperactive Behavior
- Frequent Nightmares
- Frequent disobedience or aggression
- Frequent temper tantrums
National Alliance for Mental Health Site
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the sanctuary youth series
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