Lesson 7.3: Depression, Suicide, and Self-Harm

Overview

This lesson focuses on depression, what it is, specific types, and effects on overall health. Grief and loss, self-harm, suicide, and suicide prevention are discussed in detail.

Learning Targets

  • Explain the difference between sadness and depression.
  • Identify five signs of depression.
  • Explain what grief is and how it might look for different people.
  • Identify the warning signs of suicide.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the journal question on the board, or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use:

For the Content Focus: Open the Lesson 7.3 PowerPoint slides, or make copies of the Lesson 7.3 Note-Taking Guide.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Lesson 7.3 Making Healthy Decisions Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: When was the last time you felt really sad? Describe what made you feel this way.
    • Option: Write or project the question, and have students respond in their journals as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in partners, or in small groups to complete the Lesson 7.3 Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Lesson 7.3 Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quizzes, and use them alongside posttests to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Option: Use the Lesson 7.3 PowerPoint slides to review the chapter content.

Option: Have students use the Lesson 7.3 Note-Taking Guide to review chapter content. Ask students to work alone, in pairs, or in small groups. Review the questions as a class if time permits.

Lesson Focus: Making Healthy Decisions in Difficult Situations

  1. Give each student a copy of the Lesson 7.3 Making Healthy Decisions Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet.
  2. Have students work individually to complete the worksheet.
  3. Ask students to pair up and share their responses (only if comfortable).

Challenge Activity

Have students who need an additional challenge work on the following critical-thinking task.

Research how grief is understood in different cultures. Using specific examples, explain two ways grief might differ depending on the culture a person lives in.

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets, and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you…

  • Explain the difference between sadness and depression?

    Sadness is a normal human emotion that we feel as a result of a situation or event. When we are sad, we can still carry out normal daily tasks, and we are generally able to recognize that things will get better. Major or clinical depression is a common but serious mood disorder. It impacts the way you feel; think; and handle daily activities, such as your schoolwork, sleeping, relationships, and eating.

  • Identify five signs of depression?
    • Signs of depression include
      • feeling depressed throughout each day on most or all days;
      • lack of interest in activities you used to find pleasurable;
      • trouble sleeping or sleeping too much;
      • eating too little or too much coupled with weight fluctuation;
      • irritability, restlessness, or agitation;
      • extreme fatigue;
      • unnecessary or excessive feelings of guilt or worthlessness;
      • inability to concentrate or make decisions; and
      • suicidal thoughts or actions or thinking a lot about death.
  • Explain what grief is and how it might look for different people?
    • Grief is a deep sadness that is caused by the loss of a loved one or pet. The stages of grief (how it might look for different people) follow:
      • Denial: avoidance, confusion, shock, fear
      • Anger: frustration, irritation, anxiety
      • Bargaining: struggling to find meaning, reaching out
      • Depression: overwhelmed, hopeless, hostile
      • Acceptance: moving on
  • Identify the warning signs of suicide?
    • Warning signs of suicide in teens include
      • talking about committing suicide,
      • writing poems or stories about suicide,
      • giving away valued possessions,
      • engaging in reckless or dangerous behavior,
      • making death seem glamorous or romantic,
      • saying goodbye to friends and family members (in person, in notes, or on social media), and
      • making social media updates that reference death or the end.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

  • Quiz: Have students take the Lesson 7.3 Quiz.
  • Vocabulary Review: Collect the Lesson 7.3 Vocabulary Review Worksheets, and evaluate them for accuracy.
  • Note-Taking Guide: Collect the completed Lesson 7.3 Note-Taking Guide, and spot check one or more items for completion and accuracy.
  • Skill-Building Worksheet: Have students submit the Lesson 7.3 Making Healthy Decisions Skill-Building Challenge Worksheets, and use the Decision-Making Holistic Rubric to evaluate their skill development.
  • Journal Question: Ask students to respond to the journal question again, adding information they learned from today’s class. Require a one-paragraph response that uses proper grammar.

Take It Home

Create a list of emergency and crisis numbers and hotlines for different mental disorders or mental health crises. Put the list somewhere you will remember.