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Wellbeing and Mental Health

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These free resources are organised into categories aligned to the College of Policing Curriculum and in agreement with police experts. You can study them at any time and anywhere.

Select the duration of study below and you will be taken to resources that match that duration

An hour or less of study 1-7 Hours of study More than 7 hours of study

An hour or less of study

Five reasons why you should care about mindfulness

It has stood the test of time – people have been doing mindfulness for centuries. But why does mindfulness matter? Mindfulness is about focusing on the present moment, whilst at the same time accepting your feelings, thoughts, and body’s sensations. This short introductory to course gives you practical tips through video and audio for you to explore the power of mindfulness. 

Type of activity: Learning resource

Journeying through Wellbeing

Life can be a series of ups and downs.. But do we understand what it means to have good mental health and wellbeing? Do we know how it is shaped by the things that happen to us? And how might we protect ourselves from becoming mentally unwell? Take a journey through Wellbeing and see how factors such as where we grow up, what happens to us, and our physical health, can all impact on our mental health and wellbeing.  

Type of activity: Learning resource

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1-7 hours of study

Alcohol and human health

What impact does alcohol have on the body? From a ‘hangover’ to cirrhosis this course looks at the harmful effects of alcohol both in the short and long term. It looks at the journey of alcohol through the body and its effect on the liver and nervous system, along with the impact on alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and how it effects a driver’s judgement. 

Type of activity: Course

Factors that influence health: An introduction

What factors influence our health? A lot of attention is focused on people's behaviour - their decisions to smoke, drink, over-eat and so on - with strong messages about the changes needed to become healthier. But people's behaviour is influenced by circumstances and events (e.g., family, friends, education, employment, housing). In this course we look at how these factors work together to influence our health for good or ill.

Type of activity: Course

Health is everywhere: Unravelling the mystery of health

This course considers two ideas: that health is an ever-present factor in our lives, and that health is something difficult to define. But how can we say that health is everywhere if it is so mysterious? How do we recognise health if it so difficult to define? There are no easy answers to these questions! In this course we explore this paradox, because understanding health provides insights into the health care profession.

Type of activity: Course

Life stories

This course examines life stories. It looks at the way in which objects, trends, cultures or disabilities may contribute to a person's identity, and the contribution of their own life stories makes them who they are. It outlines how encouraging people to talk about the past, through remembering and revisiting their past, can help them move forward with their lives. 

Type of activity: Course

Public health and mental health promotion

In this course you will examine public health from a mental health perspective, beginning with an exploration of the relationship between public health and mental health. Mental health promotion is concerned with achieving positive mental health and quality of life.

Type of activity: Course

Social care in the community

Social care involves the challenge of supporting people who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to function without assistance or supervision. This course focuses on one important area of social care, home care for older people. You will explore social care, a major area of provision in health and social care. All societies face the challenge of supporting people who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to function without assistance or supervision.

Type of activity: Course

Understanding narratives in health care

What are the ways in which others (patients, relatives, practitioners) and you create and share meanings within health care? Narratives are the stories used by individuals to make sense of events. In this course you are guided on how to identify narratives, those that might either support or undermine health care practice. It is suggested that much of what triggers improvements, and may sustain efforts, rests upon the ways individuals interpret what is happening and what they are doing. Understand this, and improvement may be managed more strategically.

Type of activity: Course

Work and mental health

Although being at work during periods of mental illness can be difficult for those with mental health problems, most people with these difficulties could take paid employment if it were not for barriers (Centre for Mental Health, 2013). You will look at some of the ways in which employment affects mental health and what can be done to support people in finding and keeping work.

Type of activity: Course

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More than 7 hours of study

Challenging ideas in mental health

Take a new and different look at mental health. This course invites you to think differently about life's dilemmas by taking account of the views of all concerned, especially people experiencing mental distress. It explores ideas and practice in mental health, and will appeal to a wide range of people.

Type of activity: Course

Exploring family health

How can families support healthy living and cope with illness? In this course you will recognise how a family can learn and support good and poor health behaviours alongside government interventions, such as the 5 A DAY strategy. Identification of people with Alzheimer's disease is steadily increasing and you will consider key features and research, along with looking at the plight of young carers, often hidden from view. 

Type of activity: Course

Mental health practice: Bonnyrigg

Although society's attitude toward mental illness has improved, discrimination and misconceptions surrounding those affected are still prevalent. This course explores a number of issues relating to mental health practice, including the difference between mental health and mental illness, and the discrimination that can arise when people experience some form of mental distress.

Type of activity: Course

Understanding depression and anxiety

In this course we consider some risk and causal factors for some depression and anxiety disorders – that is, the possible aetiology of such disorders. A multitude of genetic, neurobiological, psychological and social factors are likely to be relevant. You will understand how stressful life events may be linked to emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety through exploring the life cycle model of stress. 

Type of activity: Course

Understanding mental capacity

This free course, Understanding mental capacity, covers the principles and criteria underpinning the assessment of mental capacity and decision making in the UK. It will appeal to those who support people aged 16 or over and who have to make decisions in order to address the variety of interpretation and inconsistent application of services in everyday provision. It will explain the law and how it is applied in a practical way for those making important decisions about other’s lives, such as health and social care staff, police, banks and insurance industry workers, and retailers.

Type of activity: Course

Mindfulness in mental health and prison settings

This free course, Mindfulness in mental health and prison settings, introduces the key ideas and practices of mindfulness, describes how it is helping counselling clients and prisoners, and also looks at some of the criticisms mindfulness has received in recent years

Type of activity: Course

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