Growing Happy, Healthy Young Minds

Edited by Dr Ramesh Manocha & Gyongyi Horvath
To read the full chapter go to Volume 1, chapter 2, pp. 17-31.

Authors

Dr Claire Kelly
Manager of Youth Programs at Mental Health First Aid Australia
Dr Claire Kelly is the manager of youth programs at Mental Health First Aid Australia. She has been a main contributor to the mental health first aid guidelines projects. Claire has experienced episodes of depression and anxiety since early adolescence, which has been a driver for her work.

Website: www.mhfa.com.au

Mental illness is common in young people. To encourage them to seek and accept help, adults can learn simple mental health first aid skills and communication techniques. This chapter is written for teachers in particular.

Want to Learn More, Get Help or Find Support?

Watch: Helping Young People in a Mental Health Crisis (36:35min)

Watch:Positive Psychology Strategies to Reduce Depression in Teens (38:44min)

Watch: How to Support Teens in Distress (2:40min)

There are currently no podcasts available. This page will be updated once new podcasts have been created.

Mental Health First Aid Australia: www.mhfa.com.au

Kelly, CM, Kitchener, BA & Jorm, AF 2017, Youth Mental Health First Aid: A Manual for Adults Assisting Young People (4th ed), Mental Health First Aid Australia, Melbourne.
Purcell R, Ryan S, Scanlan F, Morgan A, Callahan P, Allen N & Jorm A 2013, A Guide to What Works for Depression in Young People (2nd ed), beyondblue, Melbourne

1. Jorm, A.F., Korten, A.E., Jacomb, P.A., Christensen, H., Rodgers, B. & Pollitt, P., ‘“Mental health literacy”: a survey of the public’s ability to recognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment.’ Medical Journal of Australia , 166, (1997) pp. 182–186.
2. Hadlaczky, G., Hokby, S., Mkrtchian, A., Carli, V. & Wasserman, D., ‘Mental Health First Aid is an effective public health intervention for improving
knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour: A meta-analysis.’ International Review of Psychiatry, 2014, 4, pp. 467–475.
3. Kelly, C.M., Kitchener, B.A., & Jorm, A.F., Youth Mental Health First Aid: A Manual for Adults Assisting Young People (4th ed), Melbourne: Mental Health
First Aid Australia; 2017. (Previously unpublished data from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.)
4. Lawrence. D., Johnson, S., Hakefost, J., Boterhoven De Haan, K., Sawyer, M., Ainley, J., & Zubrick, S.R., The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents.
Report on the Second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.Ca nberra: Department of Health; 2015.
5. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results. (Document 4326.0).
Canberra: ABS; 2008.
6. Fischer, J.A., Kelly, C.M., Kitchener, B.A. & Jorm, A.F., ‘Development of Guidelines for Adults on How to Communicate With Adolescents About
Mental Health Problems and Other Sensitive Topics’, Sage Open , 2013, 3 (4). Mental Health First Aid Australia, Communicating with adolescents: guidelines for adults on how to communicate with adolescents about mental health problems and other sensitive topics. Melbourne: Mental Health First Aid Australia, 2014.
7. Langlands, R.L., Jorm, A.F., Kelly, C.M. & Kitchener, B.A., ‘First aid for depression: A Delphi consensus study with consumers, carers and clinicians’,
Journal of Affective Disorders, 2008, 105: pp. 157–165. Mental Health First Aid Australia, Depression: first aid guidelines. Melbourne: Mental Health First Aid Australia, 2008

Know of any good resources that are not listed here? You can tell us here!