Using ICT to engage with young people around mental health and wellbeing

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• Using ICT to engage with young people around
  mental health and wellbeing

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The need

• Suicide rates down by 56 since 1997
• 1 in 4 experience depression
• 1 in 10 suffer from an anxiety disorder
• 1 in 30 make a serious attempt at suicide

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The need

• Of the one in four with a mental health
  problem,only 22 contact a professional service
  of any type.

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The opportunity

• Young people 15 -17 years old
• Over 94 accessed the internet in last 12 months
• Increase from 83 in previous 12 months
• 66 use the internet at least daily
• How are they using it?
• 40 say they cant live without the internet
• Most common activities are games, homework and
  downloading music
• Emergence of social networking and user-generated
  content sites
• E.g. MySpace, YouTube, Facebook

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The opportunity
Mission Australia, 2008
Internet preferred to telephone helpline (3-6
times), teachers (2-6 times), school counsellors
(2-5 times), community agencies/youth workers (2
times), doctors/ministers (2 times)


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Health promotion
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Inspires program model
Social Branding
Innovative Technology
Young people
Research and Evaluation
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1. Young people at the centre

• - Consumer-led services
• - Capacity-based approach
• - High take-up user
• experience and usability
• - Benefits to participants

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2. Innovative use of ICT
Supports young people to become more connected
to their community
Helps young people help themselves through tough
times
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Universal health promotion
Supports young people to become more connected
to their community
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Homepage
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Member profile grab

• Erin

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Issue page grab

• Drought/climate change

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Action screengrab

• 40 hr drought

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Toolkit
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• 65 stay on for more than 10 mins
• 56 visit once a fortnight or more often
• 2008 95,000 individual young people engaged with
  the service
• Over 5000 members 290 orgs
• Over 300 ways to take action

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Selective indicative prevention
Reach Out helps young people get through tough
times. It provides information, support and
resources to help young people improve
their understanding of mental health issues and
increase resilience, coping skills
and help-seeking behaviour.
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Portable digital media (e.g. SMS, podcasting)
Research-supported, young
people created information (e.g., fact sheets,
stories)
Interactive game(Reach Out Central)
Self-expression (e.g. social networking )
Online community (e.g. moderated forum)
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• 3. Social branding and marketing

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Total visitors to end September 2008 9.5
Million 587,000 unique users since launch
(1998) 2008 267,000 individual young people
engaged in the service 83 of users stay on
for 11 mins or longer
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Increased social connectedness

• 72 of young people said they feel like theyre
  not alone
• 69 say that ActNow gives me a voice
• 68 say ActNow makes them feel like they are part
  of a community

I have never felt like I was on the receiving
end of a service provided for me by Inspire. I
have always felt like part of a community of
people who strive to increase the happiness of
young people in my country. My role within that
community has been dynamic - a leader, a
listener, an inspirer, an inspired, a learner, a
teacher, and never alone. Female, 24
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Increased community participation

• 78 have taken action on issues they care about
• 86 made a donation or raised money for a cause
• 81 have volunteered their time to help others

I remember when I first started volunteering, I
was known as the shy boy with neat hand writing.
Through volunteering Im constantly being
pushed to try new things, talk to new people and
be assigned responsibility. These are the things
that keep me moving, learning and give me
confidence. Male, 23 yr who suffered from
depression
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Reduced stigma

• 82 of young people learnt more about mental
  health issues
• 77 learnt how to help others with mental health
  issues
• 79 are less worried what other people think
  about mental health issues

Please just hear my thank you.  Thank you for
being there when no one else is here for me.  You
have just saved a life.  Thank you.  Now I have
tools to help me cope and suicide will not win!
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Increased help seeking and coping skills

• 74 learnt where to get help
• 88 had spoken to someone about their tough time
• 59 actually went to get professional help

I have admitted to depression recently.  I
probably would have done myself in too but Reach
Out helped.  I checked the site for information
on depression it did give me a good first step. 
I found a friend to talk to (its in one of the
factsheets) and also saw a counselor, visited my
doctor to get some medication and have been
referred to a psychiatrist.If I hadnt talked to
someone I would have done something regrettable. 
It was Reach Out that got me on the right
track.  
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Thank you from us all!
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Contact details

• Kerry Graham
• Chief Executive Officer
• Inspire Foundation
• Direct Phone [phone]
• Email kerry_at_inspire.org.au

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Our mission

• To help millions of young people lead happier
  lives

Inspire Youth Ambassadors