Body Image and Mental Health in Young People (FutureLearn)

With the help of experts from across the Foundation’s programmes, research, and policy teams, you’ll examine body image, its relationship with mental health, the factors that affect it, and how to support children and young people to develop and maintain healthy body image.

Explore the prevalence of body image concerns in childhood and adolescence
This course will guide you through the many influences on body image, from social media to physical health conditions, and how body image affects mental health and quality of life in young people.

Develop ways to support young people toward healthy body image
Through this course, you’ll learn some personal actions you can take to develop and maintain healthy body image, helping to build a more accepting culture for young people.
You’ll also gain tips on how to support young people in educational settings, at home, and through policy. From informed conversations to health education, you’ll finish this course with a wide range of tools to support children and young people with their body image.

Learn from the experts at the Mental Health Foundation
The Mental Health Foundation is one of the UK’s leading mental health charities, taking a prevention-focused public mental health approach to its work.
Their mission is to help all people understand, protect, and sustain their mental health, which makes them uniquely suited to guide you through the important topic of body image in young people.

Syllabus

Week 1: Defining body image and mental health throughout life
Week 2: Body image in children and young people
Week 3: Supporting children and young people to maintain healthy body image

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

• Describe body image and its prevalence in the UK.
• Explore how body image interacts with mental health and quality of life.
• Discuss body image concerns throughout life.
• Engage in greater depth with the factors that influence body image in children and young people in the UK.
• Investigate how take personal actions as a professional to maintain healthy body image.
• Explore how to support children and young people's body image concerns in education
• Explore how to support children and young people's body image concerns at home
• Critique UK policy and regulation around professional training, social media, provision of services, and advertising.

Who is the course for?
This course is designed for all professionals working with children and young people, with a focus on the education sector.
It will also be of interest to anyone looking to learn more about body image, its link with mental health, and how to support young people at home, in school, or through policy changes.