TY - JOUR
T1 - ReachOut.com : the role of an online service for promoting help-seeking in young people
AU - Collin, Philippa
AU - Metcalf, Atair T.
AU - Stephens-Reicher, Justine C.
AU - Blanchard, Michelle
AU - Herrman, Helen
AU - Rahilly, Kitty
AU - Burns, Jane
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Considerable investment over the last decade in strategies to improve mental health and wellbeing in Australia has seen a notable increase in the availability and awareness of youth-specific mental health services as well as an increase in mental health literacy among young people. However, national statistics do not reflect a corresponding increase in help-seeking behaviour among young people. There is limited understanding of how services can promote effective help-seeking in young people – particularly those young people experiencing marginalisation or high levels of psychological distress. In this paper we examine the potential for online mental health services to address the persistent challenge of facilitating help-seeking in young people. This paper presents findings from a study of young people’s use of the online service, ReachOut.com, to examine if and how the service promotes help-seeking. We find that ReachOut.com effectively engages young people – particularly those who are experiencing high levels of psychological distress and supports young people to become service ready. Targeted strategies for young men and other hard-to-reach groups as well as further integration with on and offline clinical services are likely to strengthen and systematise the role of ReachOut.com as a gateway service, supporting young people to seek professional support.
AB - Considerable investment over the last decade in strategies to improve mental health and wellbeing in Australia has seen a notable increase in the availability and awareness of youth-specific mental health services as well as an increase in mental health literacy among young people. However, national statistics do not reflect a corresponding increase in help-seeking behaviour among young people. There is limited understanding of how services can promote effective help-seeking in young people – particularly those young people experiencing marginalisation or high levels of psychological distress. In this paper we examine the potential for online mental health services to address the persistent challenge of facilitating help-seeking in young people. This paper presents findings from a study of young people’s use of the online service, ReachOut.com, to examine if and how the service promotes help-seeking. We find that ReachOut.com effectively engages young people – particularly those who are experiencing high levels of psychological distress and supports young people to become service ready. Targeted strategies for young men and other hard-to-reach groups as well as further integration with on and offline clinical services are likely to strengthen and systematise the role of ReachOut.com as a gateway service, supporting young people to seek professional support.
KW - Australia
KW - mental health
KW - mental health services
KW - online information services
KW - youth
UR - http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/511116
UR - http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=955848087532627;res=IELHEA
U2 - 10.5172/jamh.2011.10.1.39
DO - 10.5172/jamh.2011.10.1.39
M3 - Article
SN - 1837-4905
JO - Advances in Mental Health
JF - Advances in Mental Health
ER -