Background: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase during which young people are vulnerable to the experiences of mental ill-health and social exclusion (consisting of various domains including education and employment, housing,... more
Background: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase during which young people are vulnerable to the experiences of mental ill-health and social exclusion (consisting of various domains including education and employment, housing, finances and social supports and relationships). The aims of this study were to: (i) obtain an understanding of the relationships between social exclusion, mental health and wellbeing of young people; and (ii) identify potentially modifiable targets, or population groups that require greater or targeted supports.Methods: Data was obtained from the Mission Australia 2022 Youth Survey, Australia’s largest annual population-wide survey of young people aged 15-19 years (n=18,800). Participants’ experiences of social exclusion in different domains were explored (e.g., prevalence, co-occurrence, and controlling for differences in demographic characteristics). Multivariable linear regression models were used to map the relationships between social exclusion ...
Background: Adolescence is a critical period for mental health; a significant portion of mental health disorders emerge during this time. Social exclusion represents the absence of opportunities for full participation in society and is a... more
Background: Adolescence is a critical period for mental health; a significant portion of mental health disorders emerge during this time. Social exclusion represents the absence of opportunities for full participation in society and is a key determinant of mental health. This study aimed to better understand the help-seeking experiences of young people facing co-occurring social exclusion and mental ill-health focusing on where young people sought support, barriers they had experienced in seeking such support, and their preferences for mental health supports.Methods. Data from the 2022 Mission Australia Youth Survey (N=18,800) were analysed, from a subset of 9,743 young people aged 15-19 who reported having needed mental health support. Self-response to questions regarding four domains of social exclusion (housing, finances, relational, education/employment), demographic characteristics, psychological distress and help-seeking behaviours (perceived need, mental health supports, barr...
Background: Climate change is escalating and will disproportionately affect young people. Understanding the impact of climate concerns on young people’s mental wellbeing is crucial for identifying effective measures and building... more
Background: Climate change is escalating and will disproportionately affect young people. Understanding the impact of climate concerns on young people’s mental wellbeing is crucial for identifying effective measures and building resilience. Methods: Climate concerns, psychological distress, and future outlook were measured in the 2022 Mission Australia Youth Survey, Australia’s largest annual population-wide survey of young people aged 15 to 19 (N = 18,800). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to map factors associated with climate concerns and assess whether climate concerns are associated with psychological distress and future outlook. Findings: One in four young people reported feeling very or extremely concerned about climate change. Climate concerns were higher among individuals identifying as female or gender diverse, or self-reported a mental health condition. After controlling for confounding factors, we found those who were very or extremely concerned about cli...
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Research Interests:
The involvement of young people in the development, implementation and evaluation of youth mental health services, policy and research programs is essential to ensure they are appropriate and responsive to the needs of young people.... more
The involvement of young people in the development, implementation and evaluation of youth mental health services, policy and research programs is essential to ensure they are appropriate and responsive to the needs of young people. Despite the increasingly central role that youth engagement and participation plays internationally, such activities are rarely described in detail. This article aims to provide a thorough description of the development and implementation of an organization‐wide, 3‐year Youth Engagement and Participation Strategy for Orygen, a national youth mental health organization in Australia.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The involvement of young people in the development, implementation and evaluation of youth mental health services, policy and research programs is essential to ensure they are appropriate and responsive to the needs of young people.... more
The involvement of young people in the development, implementation and evaluation of youth mental health services, policy and research programs is essential to ensure they are appropriate and responsive to the needs of young people. Despite the increasingly central role that youth engagement and participation plays internationally, such activities are rarely described in detail. This article aims to provide a thorough description of the development and implementation of an organization‐wide, 3‐year Youth Engagement and Participation Strategy for Orygen, a national youth mental health organization in Australia.
Research Interests:
Objectives: To explore the potential utility of clinical stage and mental disorder categories as a basis for determining which attributes of youth mental health care should be offered to which groups of young people.