Information for school assignments

Some facts about the Reach Out service

Reach Out is a web-based service that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 14-25 years by providing them with information, support and skills development and by working with health professionals to strengthen the pathways between online and community based service delivery.

Aim of Reach Out

To improve the mental health and wellbeing of Australian young people.

Objectives

Reach Out’s key objectives are:

• To increase mental health literacy amongst young people aged 14-25 years
• To increase resilience amongst young people aged 14-25 years
• To increase help seeking behaviour amongst young people aged 14-25 years

Inspire Foundation identifies six principles as being crucial to achieving the objectives above. These are:

• Young people have the right to be involved in decision-making processes that directly affect them, and are able to help themselves and others through tough times.
• The involvement of young people in Reach Out will enhance the quality of the service Inspire Foundation delivers.
• For Reach Out to be able to improve a young person’s mental health and wellbeing, the young person must know that Reach Out exists, and see it as relevant in their lives.
• All information on Reach Out is based on the most up-to-date mental health research and best practice service delivery.
• The Inspire Foundation uses technology to continue to use innovative ways of delivering mental health information to young people.
• To reach young people Inspire Foundation must be present in the environments in which young people interact.

To achieve its goals the Reach Out service delivers the following initiatives:

• Reach Out – http://au.reachout.com – a website that provides information on a range of mental health issues, stories about how other young people have got through tough times and a community forum to get support and understanding from peers facing similar issues.
• Reach Out Central – www.reachoutcentral.com.au – an online world that combines computer game technology and psychological theories to assist young people manage mental health difficulties.
• Reach Out Pro – www.reachoutpro.com.au – a website aimed at enhancing the capacity of health professionals to better engage with young people using internet-based technology and increase Reach Out's ability to refer young people to community-based care.
• Reach Out Teachers' Network – http://teachers.reachoutpro.com.au – designed to provide teachers with curriculum resources that link Reach Out into the learning education outcomes.

Frequently asked questions

How would you best describe the goals and objectives of the Reach Out program?

Reach Out is a web-based service that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 14-25 years by providing information, support and skills development for young people and working with health professionals to strengthen the pathways between online and community based service delivery.

How do young people find out about the program? Are advertisements used, and if so, what medium is used?

Through school/TAFE/uni, through a link from another site, search engine (e.g. google), magazine/newspaper articles, brochures/postcards/stickers, youth centres, word of mouth, health professionals (school counsellors, social workers, GPs, psychologists etc), advertisements. There were a series of ads (donated space) for the relaunch of Reach Out on buses, taxis, billboards. We also have TV advertising at times that we get donated.

What do you think makes the program so appealing?

Users like the fact that it’s anonymous, available 24/7, has info written in consultation with experts in an easy to understand way (driven by young people who give feedback to all content).

Are any parts of the program based on specific program models or theoretical framework?

Reach Out is based on or draws upon several prevention, health promotion and community participation theories, frameworks and models.

• Social Learning Theory
• Self Determination Theory
• Social Marketing
• Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion
• Community Mobilization
• Action Research
• Diffusion of Innovations
• Cognitive Behavioural Theory

What kind of evaluation strategies are used to evaluate the effectiveness or appeal of the website?

• Annual user profiling survey
• Peer research
• Case studies
• Regular focus groups with young people involved in our program

There's a forum on your website, where young people can post their personal stories about depression, anxiety etc. How did that idea come about?

Young people including users of the site and Reach Out Youth Ambassadors wanted it – recognised the need for young people to have a medium where they could talk about things they were going through and get support from other young people in a safe moderated environment.

Considering how hard it is for young people to talk about depression, do you think online forums has been successful in encouraging young people to overcome barriers and talk about the disease?

Yes – it’s an anonymous and supportive environment, and that is a good starting point for people to start talking about what they’re going through. Many users have come onto the forums knowing something is wrong, but not really knowing what, and being too worried to tell anyone about it. Gradually through encouragement and getting armed with the facts they have become confident enough to speak with a counsellor / see a doctor – get the help they need, and in turn encourage new users to reach out for help.

Do you think the internet is the most effective medium to spread your message to young Australians these days?

It is certainly effective – available 24/7, anonymous – nobody needs to know you’re looking at it – and cost-effective (but not cheap) – can have as many users as are interested in looking at the site, so a big thing for us is raising awareness. We currently have around 50% awareness in young people aged 14-25, which leaves a lot of people who still don’t know about us. We currently average about 136,000 unique visitors each month.

What is it like to work in the area of adolescent depression?

At Reach Out we deal more broadly with mental health and wellbeing – both helping people through tough times (whether that be exam stress, problems with friends, questions about sexual health and sexuality, conflict with parents, drug and alcohol problems or mental illness) and helping people boost their mental health even if they're doing OK by learning skills that will make them more resilient and by providing information on what it is to practice positive mental health.
 
A large number of young people who interact with the website do experience depression, and we are able to provide those young people with stories on the website that let them know that they are not alone and that they can get through their illness with the right help. Fact sheets give information on the illness and how to get help. Our emphasis is on providing an online service for a large number of people – population health not individual help. 
 
When a young person confides in the Reach Out service about a tough time they are going through or about having depression for example, you feel like you are in a very privileged position for them to have that level of trust in you. It ‘s extremely rewarding to be able to reassure people with stories and information that can help them get the help they need and to get through their tough time. At Reach Out we believe in every young person's ability to get themselves through their tough times with the right support.

What are the main difficulties depressed young people are faced with?

Many young people experiencing depression express feeling very alone, like they are the only ones going through what they are experiencing, and can often become quite isolated as a result of their illness.

Once they jump on the site and read stories from others they realise they’re not the only ones and that they can get through it.

Is adolescent depression increasing?

Yes. Research shows that psychological distress has been increasing.

• While suicide rates have decreased 57% since 1997, rates of young people experiencing high to very high psychological distress have increased by 60% since 1997 (ABS 2008; Eckersley )
• Rates of reported intentional self harm have also increased 43% from 1996 to 2006
• 26.5% of young people aged 18-24 experience an anxiety, affective or substance use disorder
• 1 in 5 are likely to experience a diagnosable depressive episode
• Of the one in four with a mental health problem, only 29% contact a professional service of any type.

It's hard to say why this might be. It could be that we are talking about it more, so there is less stigma and more people realising through awareness about depression that that is what they are experiencing and that it's not normal to feel down for such an extended time.
 
Or, it could be that there is something about modern life that is leading to increased depression in young people – something about being less connected to our communities and other people and having more stresses in this modern life. Hard to know really.

What can and do you do to prevent depression?

Prevention is obviously better than cure! As well as preventing pain and suffering, it’s a lot more cost-effective.

There are a number of risk factors that we can reduce and protective factors that we can enhance to protect against depression. 

Some of the protective factors include:

Individual characteristics

• problem-solving skills
• social skills
• high self-esteem
• a sense of control
• positive expectations for the future
• an optimistic outlook.

Environmental factors

Social support plays an especially important protective role for people’s mental health, including good peer relations, support from teachers, and a warm and stable relationship with at least one parent. Children who grow up in a negative family situation are less likely to become depressed if they have a confiding relationship with at least one adult outside the family, or if they are involved in and obtain positive recognition for school or community activities outside the family.

Reach Out’s sister program, ActNow does this by promoting upstream factors known to be protective for mental health:

• Sense of belonging
• Optimism
• Self efficacy
• Awareness of opportunities and ways to create change

Reach Out does this by addressing a number of protective factors against depression, including:

• problem solving skills
• social skills
• self-esteem
• optimism
• sense of belonging/community.

We aim to work as much at the preventative end as possible, however also work at the early intervention and intervention stage.

Is it hard to identify depression in young people?

There are a number of things you can look out for. Check out the Depression: Types, causes and symptons fact sheet for more info. 

The more people are aware of what to look for, the easier it is to spot, although of course sometimes people will be harder to spot and will slip under the radar unless they speak with someone about it. That’s why it’s especially important to encourage people to seek help.

How does depression affect their school life and ability to do and complete work?

People experiencing depression can find it harder to get the energy and motivation to get things done, so may be more likely to fall behind in school work. Likewise in the workplace, if people don’t seek help and utilize strategies to manage their illness, and don’t have supportive workplaces, this can be problematic.

How does depression affect them socially and around friends?

Some of the symptoms of depression such as lack of energy or losing interest in activities previously enjoyed, some people can become quite isolated and might withdraw from friends. If friends don’t understand this, they sometimes feel rejected by the person who is unwell, and stop making an effort with them.

This is a vicious cycle, as social support is a protective factor, and once it disappears things can get worse.

How do you define adolescent depression?

Depression is a mood disorder that is characterised by persistent and lasting feelings of inadequacy, despondency, sadness and hopelessness. Often accompanied by a decrease in energy and activity and a loss of pleasure in most activities.

What are the problems families with depressed children face?

It can be a really stressful time for families. It isn’t always clear where to get information about what to do or where you can help, so people can feel quite helpless and desperate, as well as obviously being upset that a loved one is unwell. It can put a lot of pressure on other family relationships as well.

Tere are some things people can do if they are living with someone experiencing depression. Check out the Living with somone experiencing depression fact sheet for info.

Do they always need professional help if they are depressed?

There are varying severities of depression. If someone is feeling down, it is a good idea to speak with a mental health professional about it. This might be your school counsellor or your local GP to start with. Different therapies are appropriate for difference severities of depression and different people. Go to the Depression: Management and treatment options fact sheet for more info.