Mentally healthy communities, on and offline

In 2014 the internet is where young people will go to learn, work and play. Recent data suggests that over 95 per cent of young people in Australia use the internet on a daily basis to build their social networks, seek advice, contact relevant health organisations and reach out to others in need. 

Yet the potential of online technologies as tools for increasing access to health and wellbeing programs is yet to be fully realised – particularly in the area of mental health, where young people today face their biggest challenges.

Enter the Young and Well Co-operative Research Centre (CRC). It’s an Australia-based international research centre, uniting young people with researchers, practitioners, innovators and policy-makers from over 70 partner organisations across the government, academic, corporate and not-for-profit sectors. The Centre explores the role of technology in young people’s lives, focusing on how it can be used to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 12 to 25. 

Associate Professor Jane Burns, CEO of the Young and Well CRC and Principal Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Youth Mental Health at Orygen Youth Health, founded the organisation in 2011 under the Australian Government’s Co-operative Research Centres Program. 

“Establishing the Young and Well CRC is a culmination of my work in suicide and depression prevention over the past two decades,” Associate Professor Burns says. 

Youth is a critical period for social and emotional development, and a time when people face serious challenges like cyberbullying and discrimination. One in four young people experience mental health difficulties, disrupting their relationships, education and work. Poor mental health relates directly to suicide, which has been shown to cost the Australian economy $17.5 billion annually. 

“In mental health and youth health, there is an urgent need to capitalise on new technologies to enhance engagement, support treatment and develop new online service models,” Associate Professor Burns says.

“Australia is a world-leader in this field, and a number of pioneering online mental health resource and service providers have been born here, such as headspace. It is with this spirit of innovation and enthusiasm that the sector must continue to develop original and evidence-based interventions, resources and treatment strategies with young people at the centre.” 

The Young and Well CRC is leading a number of innovative research initiatives – including a gaming research group exploring the impact of commercial video games on mental health and a new iPhone app aimed at tackling cyberbullying by spreading positivity online among teenagers. Appreciate A Mate is a newly launched app that generates messages of appreciation, providing young people with a digital tool to share compliments and positive communication.

This campaign takes a new approach to tackling cyberbullying and the issue of poor self-esteem in young Australians. The campaign kicked off in July 2013, with hundreds of positive compliments spreading their way across social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. The compliments were in the form of illustrated images with positive sentiments, phrases such as: ‘Don’t ever change,’ ‘Your smile makes me smile’ and even ‘Your face makes Facebook better’.

“Young people told us the building blocks of self-esteem were acceptance and feeling valued by the people closest to them – their friends and family. They gave us feedback on the campaign idea and even wrote the messages that you see in the app,” Associate Professor Burns says. 

She attributes the breadth and inventiveness of the research initiatives to the truly diverse mix of researchers, young people and organisations involved in the Young and Well CRC. 

“In my day-to-day work I have an opportunity to work with some of the most inspiring young people from all walks of life,” Associate Professor Burns says. 

“When you couple this with some of Australia’s most innovative, creative and clever scientists, thought leaders and mental health reformers, you end up with a pretty amazing and eclectic mix of research projects.”

Associate Professor Burns is driven by a desire to make the world a better place, both for her own children and young people around the world. She hopes that the technological revolution will provide an opportunity to eliminate the traditional roadblocks to living a mentally healthy life – such as verbal, social and geographical barriers to inclusion and wellness. 

“As a mum to three children, including a little boy who lives with autism and Down syndrome, I am particularly interested in how technologies can be used to enhance social connection and how the internet can facilitate empowerment for those who are marginalised or geographically isolated,” she explains. 

“This work goes beyond just reducing stigma or creating better services for young people. This is fundamentally about changing our conversations about what it means to be a young person in a changing world and how we can collectively focus on building healthy communities that encompass both the online and offline worlds.” 

For more information visit:

www.youngandwellcrc.org.au

www.mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/profile/orygen-youth-health-research-centre