Build your understanding of mental health and a wide range of common mental health problems, including stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD and PTSD.
Study online with tutor support and receive a certificate when you successfully complete the course.
The course is designed to be completed over 8 to 12 weeks, with tutor support available throughout.
Complete your learning and assessments online with access to course materials throughout your studies.
Complete the course successfully and receive your Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems.
This mental health awareness course introduces mental health and explores how a wide range of mental health problems can affect individuals and those around them.
The course develops knowledge and awareness. It does not train you to diagnose or treat mental health conditions or practise as a mental health professional.
By completing the course, you’ll develop your understanding of:
The course contains 13 units covering mental health and a broad range of mental health problems.
There are no exams. Instead, you’ll complete assessment questions based on the knowledge you develop through the course units.
Explore what mental health means and how mental health problems can affect an individual’s life.
You’ll also consider legal frameworks connected with the provision of mental health care and support.
Develop your understanding of stress, some of the factors that can contribute to it and the effects it can have on everyday life. You’ll also consider approaches that may help people manage stress.
Explore anxiety, factors that may contribute to it and the ways it can affect individuals and those around them. The unit also considers approaches used to manage anxiety.
Build your awareness of phobias, their possible causes and the effect they may have on daily life. You’ll consider different ways phobias can be managed and supported.
Develop your knowledge of depression, factors that may contribute to it and how it can affect an individual and others. You’ll also explore approaches to management and support.
Explore postnatal depression, possible contributing factors and its effect on individuals and the people around them. You’ll also consider approaches that may be used to provide support.
Develop your understanding of bipolar disorder and the ways it can affect an individual’s life. You’ll consider possible causes alongside common approaches to management and support.
Explore schizophrenia, possible causes and the ways the condition may be represented in the media. You’ll also develop your awareness of approaches to managing and supporting the condition.
Build your understanding of dementia, factors that may contribute to it and the ways it can affect individuals and others. The unit also introduces approaches to dementia support and management.
Explore eating disorders, their possible causes and the effects they can have on individuals and those around them. You’ll also consider approaches used to manage and support eating disorders.
Develop your awareness of ADHD and how it may affect an individual and the people around them. You’ll consider possible causes and approaches to management and support.
Explore obsessive compulsive disorder, factors that may contribute to it and how it can affect daily life. You’ll also consider common approaches to management and support.
Develop your understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder, its possible causes and how it can affect an individual and others. You’ll also explore approaches that may be used to manage and support PTSD.
Mental health can affect how people think, feel, behave and manage everyday life. Developing a broader understanding of mental health problems can be useful in the workplace, in voluntary or community roles, when supporting people around you or simply as part of your own personal development.
This free online mental health awareness course covers a particularly wide range of topics. You'll begin by exploring mental health itself before looking more closely at stress, anxiety, phobias, depression and postnatal depression.
The course also introduces bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, eating disorders, ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Across the units, you'll consider possible causes, the effect different problems may have on individuals and those around them and approaches that may be used to manage or support them.
Because the course covers 13 separate units, it offers considerably more depth than a short workplace awareness session. However, it remains an awareness and knowledge-based course. It does not teach you to diagnose mental health problems, provide clinical treatment or work as a counsellor, therapist or mental health practitioner.
The course is completed online and normally takes 8 to 12 weeks. You'll have support from a qualified tutor and complete assessment questions rather than sit formal exams.
When you successfully complete the course, you'll receive a Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems. The course is described as comparable to Level 5 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.
For eligible learners living in Scotland, the course is fully funded.
This course may be useful if you want to:
The course develops awareness and knowledge rather than professional or clinical competence.
You'll have support from a qualified tutor while you complete the course, giving you someone to turn to if you need help understanding the learning materials or assessments.
This course can help you build a broader understanding of mental health for use in your current role, further study or personal development.
It may be particularly useful if you work in health and social care, education, community services or another role where greater awareness of mental health problems could support the way you work with others.
Mental health affects a significant proportion of adults across Scotland. The Scottish Health Survey 2024 found that 22% of adults recorded a GHQ-12 score of four or more, which is indicative of a possible psychiatric disorder.
Improving awareness can help people understand mental health more clearly, challenge misconceptions and recognise why appropriate support and professional help can matter.
Check whether you meet the current funding criteria and complete the online application.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be matched with the appropriate training provider to continue your enrolment.
Work through the online learning materials and complete assessment questions covering each course unit.
There are no exams and you’ll have access to tutor support while you study.
Once you’ve successfully completed the required learning and assessments, you’ll receive the relevant Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems.
For learners in Scotland, the course is comparable to SCQF Level 5.
Completing this course can help you build a broader foundation of mental health knowledge for personal or professional development.
You may use what you’ve learned to:
The course alone does not qualify you to diagnose mental health conditions, provide clinical treatment or practise as a mental health professional.
This course is available online through one of our approved training provider partners, The Skills Network, which provides it in partnership with West College Scotland and North East College Scotland.
The aim is to enhance skills, promote lifelong learning and support workforce development in key sectors in Scotland.
Enrol online in under 10 minutes…
*View visa restrictions
Funding isn’t available for Skilled Worker visas, Student visas, Graduate visas, Sponsorship (skilled/seasonal) visas, or any visa with a study restriction.
If this applies, you won’t be eligible for funding.
The course is fully funded for learners who meet the current eligibility requirements in Scotland. Check the eligibility criteria before applying.
Yes. The course is delivered online and is available to eligible learners living in Scotland.
Yes. When you successfully complete the course, you’ll receive a Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems.
The course is described as comparable to Level 5 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). It should not be described as an SCQF qualification simply because it is comparable to that level.
The expected duration is 8 to 12 weeks.
No. You’ll complete assessment questions based on the knowledge covered in the individual course units rather than sit formal exams.
You’ll explore mental health and 12 areas of mental ill health, including stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, eating disorders, ADHD, OCD and PTSD.
No. This course focuses on developing awareness and understanding of mental health problems. Mental Health First Aid is a different type of training and should be treated as a separate course.
The knowledge may support personal development or CPD in roles where an understanding of mental health is useful, including care, health, education, community and voluntary settings. It does not qualify you for a clinical mental health role.
Funding is subject to the current eligibility criteria for learners in Scotland. Check the eligibility page before applying, as the criteria can change between funding periods.
Share the opportunity to learn for free with your network…
© 2016-2026 Free Courses in Scotland. All Rights Reserved.
The Mill Walk, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 4HL
Company Number: 13562075
VAT Number: 427986249
TQUK certifications are delivered by The Skills Network.
This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your website experience and provide more personalised services to you, both on this website and through other media.
We won’t track your information when you visit our site. However, to comply with your preferences, we’ll need to use a single cookie, so you won’t be asked to make this choice again. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy & Cookie Policy
