New short film series: Young people’s real stories help others deal with whatever life throws at them

31 July 2018

We’ve been working with young people to create a series of short films that delve into their worlds to show them that things can be better, and that they have the power to help themselves.

These short films respond to the fact that that most young people don't know that what they’re experiencing is worthy of help, or that with some intervention they could feel better. When 1 in 4 young people in Australia are living with a mental health difficulty, and 70% of those aren’t seeking help, that’s a huge problem.

Young people have told us they love stories: they want to feel connected to their peers, and find hope in sharing their successes. So we’ve made sure that young people are at the centre of this series, telling their own stories of self-help and seeking help early.

Each short film is mapped to one of six domains in their lives: friendships, home life, life online, relationships, the future and school life. Covering topics from school and careers, to dealing with toxic friendships and how to talk to someone you trust, the new video stories are being promoted through a national media campaign and have been embedded in ReachOut.com so that young people can immediately connect with self-help information.

Free teaching resource for Years 9–12

This video series is supported by four 20-minute curriculum-mapped classroom activities (incorporating the videos), designed to help young people figure out how to deal with whatever life throws at them. These short lessons, based on Visible Thinking methodology, are an ideal way to create meaningful discussions in homeroom and wellbeing lessons. Get the resource via ReachOut Schools (login required).

Thank you

We’d like to acknowledge the Australian Department of Health National Suicide Prevention Program, Future Generation Global Investment Company (ASX: FGG), Reef Shark Foundation, our many supporters and donors, and the young people who took part in the research phase and video production for making this project possible.

Additionally, we’d like to thank Yonder Creative and Mint Productions for bringing these stories to life.

Check out the short films on ReachOut.com: friendships, home life, life online, relationships, the future and school life.