The Big Debate: Mental Health
Exploring Emotions, Understanding Resilience, and Breaking the Stigma
Bigfoot’s The Big Mental Health Debate offers KS3 and KS4 students a safe, structured and empowering space to explore one of the most pressing topics of their generation, Mental Health. In a world that feels faster, louder and more connected than ever before, this workshop invites young people to pause, reflect and engage in open, balanced discussion about wellbeing, emotions and identity.
Centred around the thought-provoking question “Your generation is emotionally unstable – agree or disagree?”, the debate encourages students to challenge assumptions about young people’s emotional resilience and mental health. Through guided conversation, real-life evidence, and personal testimonies, participants examine whether this label is fair, where it comes from, and what it truly means to be emotionally strong in today’s world.
The workshop begins by introducing students to the art of debating, how to form clear arguments, listen respectfully, and distinguish between opinion, experience and fact. With this foundation, they explore key concepts such as what it means to be emotionally stable, how emotions shape our behaviour, and how generational change, social media and modern pressures impact wellbeing.
Through powerful video evidence and case studies, students hear authentic voices of young people sharing their lived experiences with anxiety, self-esteem and the digital world. They reflect on the challenges facing their generation, from information overload and comparison culture to climate anxiety and academic pressure, while also recognising the strength, self-awareness and openness that define young people today.
As the debate develops, students discuss whether the rise in mental health awareness represents a crisis or a breakthrough. They consider whether previous generations faced similar struggles but lacked the language to describe them, and whether talking more about mental health signifies weakness or progress. Each side of the argument is explored with empathy and curiosity, allowing students to see the issue from multiple perspectives before entering a live debate where they put forward their conclusions.
By the end of The Big Mental Health Debate, participants come away with more than just improved communication and critical thinking skills. They gain a deeper understanding of their own emotional world, a stronger sense of compassion for others, and the reassurance that it’s okay not to be okay. The session encourages them to seek balance, celebrate resilience, and remember that strength isn’t about never struggling, it’s about learning how to manage and share the struggles we all experience.
Ultimately, this powerful debate helps young people find their voice in the conversation about mental health, reminding them that awareness, openness and empathy are key to building a generation that is not emotionally unstable, but emotionally intelligent.
Debating workshop sessions are 50 minutes long and can take place in a classroom or hall with up to 35 pupils in each session.
