scholarly journals Bridging the digital disconnect: Exploring the views of professionals on using technology to promote young people’s mental health

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 380-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleisha M. Clarke ◽  
Derek Chambers ◽  
Margaret M. Barry
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reliable Information ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Online Technologies ◽  
Health And Well Being

The increasing role of online technologies in young people’s lives has significant implications for professionals’ engagement with technologies to promote youth mental health and well-being. However, relatively little is known about professionals’ views on the role of technologies in supporting youth mental health. This article outlines key findings from a needs assessment survey carried out in Ireland that sought to determine the views of professionals working with young people on the use of online technologies in supporting young people’s mental health and well-being. A total of 900 professionals from across the education, health, and mental health professions completed an online survey. The findings demonstrate the importance of the internet as a resource for professionals working with young people, with over 98% of those surveyed expressing a readiness to use online resources to support young people’s mental health. The nature of preferred online technologies differed according to professional groupings, however, 63% of overall respondents indicated they would look for help on a dedicated mental health website. Guidelines on working with young people and their parents on the promotion of positive mental were requested with the most frequency. Among the barriers identified were concerns about access to reliable information that was relevant to specific professional roles, and the need for organizational support of professionals’ use of online evidence-based resources. Concerns were also expressed that online resources could replace face-to-face support services for young people, and the need for training professionals in their appropriate use. The results highlight the potential role of technology in assisting professionals through the provision of online training, reliable information, and practical resources on the promotion of positive youth mental health.

scholarly journals Building Resilience in Adolescents and Youths - The Maltese Scene

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Cachia
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Group Development ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Building Resilience ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract The Office of the Commissioner for Mental Health in Malta was established in 2011 to promote and protect rights of persons with mental disorders and their carers. This advocacy role includes monitoring of involuntary care, regular reporting on quality of care and care environments, in-depth analysis and recommendations on emerging issues such as mental health literacy, multidisciplinary care plans, drug addiction services and stigma and regular networking across ministries, agencies, departments, and NGOs, breaking silos and building bridges. Data for 2018 shows that acutely ill young people (10-29 year olds) were 30% of acute involuntary admissions. Males and foreign nationals from medium and least developed countries were more frequently represented. Substance abuse, mood disorders and psychotic disorders were the more common diagnostic groups. Building resilience and providing opportunities for early intervention are key elements of better mental health and well-being in the younger generation. Six examples of good practice in adolescent and youth mental health from Malta will be presented: Youth.inc by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ; Kellimni.com by SOS Malta; Youth Mental Health First Aid by Richmond Foundation; Research and Professional Education by ACAMH (Malta); Student Support Services at MCAST MALTA; Project Enlight! by Enlight Foundation. Two of these initiatives were recognised as best practices at European level in a peer learning exercise conducted by the Dutch Youth Institute. The recommendations are: more focused approaches towards young people with acute mental disorders with special attention to their specific needs; the identification of young people in trouble; work programmes that build resilience, life-skills and employment prospects; the intensified use of refined electronic and social media tools for promotion, prevention and early intervention; and active support and encouragement of peer group development and self-help initiatives. Key messages Networking stakeholders to break silos and build bridges. Resilience and early intervention for better mental health and well-being.

Supporting Students' Mental Health and Academic Success Through Mobile App and IoT

2019 ◽  
pp. 703-719
Author(s):  
Karolina Baras ◽  
Luísa Soares ◽  
Carla Vale Lucas ◽  
Filipa Oliveira ◽  
Norberto Pinto Paulo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Young People ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Management Guidelines ◽  
Health And Well Being

Smartphones have become devices of choice for running studies on health and well-being, especially among young people. When entering college, students often face many challenges, such as adaptation to new situations, establish new interpersonal relationships, heavier workload and shorter deadlines, teamwork assignments and others. In this paper, the results of four studies examining students' well-being and mental health as well as student's perception of challenges and obstacles they face during their academic journey are presented. In addition, a mobile application that acts as a complement to a successful tutoring project implemented at the authors' University is proposed. The application allows students to keep their schedules and deadlines in one place while incorporating virtual tutor features. By using both, the events from the student's calendar and his or her mood indicators, the application sends notifications accordingly. These notifications encompass motivational phrases, time management guidelines, as well as relaxation tips.

scholarly journals Family trouble: Heteronormativity, emotion work and queer youth mental health

2019 ◽  
pp. 136345931986057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth McDermott ◽  
Jacqui Gabb ◽  
Rachael Eastham ◽  
Ali Hanbury
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotion Work ◽  
Lgbtq Youth ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Queer Youth ◽  
Health And Well Being

Conflict with the family about sexual orientation and gender diversity is a key risk factor associated with poor mental health in youth populations. Findings presented here derive from a UK study that employed an interdisciplinary critical mental health approach that de-pathologised emotional distress and conceptualised families as social and affective units that are created through everyday practices. Our aim was to explore how family relationships foster, maintain or harm the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth. Data were generated through exploratory visual, creative and digital qualitative methods in two phases. Phase 1 involved digital/paper emotion maps and interviews with LGBTQ+ youth aged 16 to 25 (n = 12) and family member/mentor interviews (n = 7). Phase 2 employed diary methods and follow-up interviews (n = 9). The data analytic strategy involved three stages: individual case analysis, cross-sectional thematic analysis and meta-interpretation. We found that family relationships impacted queer youth mental health in complex ways that were related to the establishment of their autonomous queer selves, the desire to remain belonging to their family and the need to maintain a secure environment. The emotion work involved in navigating identity, belonging and security was made difficult because of family heteronormativity, youth autonomy and family expectations, and had a stark impact on queer youth mental health and well-being. Improving the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth requires a much deeper understanding of the emotionality of family relationships and the difficulties negotiating these as a young person.

School Climate, Deployment, and Mental Health Among Students in Military-Connected Schools

2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris Tunac De Pedro ◽  
Ron Avi Astor ◽  
Tamika D. Gilreath ◽  
Rami Benbenishty ◽  
Ruth Berkowitz
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
School Climate ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Student Demographics ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Lower Likelihood ◽  
Health And Well Being

Research has found that when compared with civilian students, military-connected students in the United States have more negative mental health outcomes, stemming from the stress of military life events (i.e., deployment). To date, studies on military-connected youth have not examined the role of protective factors within the school environment, such as school climate, in the mental health and well-being of military-connected adolescents. Given this gap in the research on military adolescents, this study draws from a large sample of military and non-military secondary adolescents in military-connected schools ( N = 14,943) and examines associations between school climate, military connection, deployment, and mental health. Findings show that multiple components of school climate are associated with a lower likelihood of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation and increased likelihood of well-being among students in military-connected schools, after controlling for student demographics, military connection, and deployments. The authors conclude with a discussion of school climate interventions for military-connected youth.

scholarly journals Sexting, Web-Based Risks, and Safety in Two Representative National Samples of Young Australians: Prevalence, Perspectives, and Predictors (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa C Milton ◽  
Benjamin A Gill ◽  
Tracey A Davenport ◽  
Mitchell Dowling ◽  
Jane M Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Safety Skills ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Late Night ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors ◽  
Health And Well Being

BACKGROUND The rapid uptake of information and communication technology (ICT) over the past decade—particularly the smartphone—has coincided with large increases in sexting. All previous Australian studies examining the prevalence of sexting activities in young people have relied on convenience or self-selected samples. Concurrently, there have been recent calls to undertake more in-depth research on the relationship between mental health problems, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and sexting. How sexters (including those who receive, send, and two-way sext) and nonsexters apply ICT safety skills warrants further research. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to extend the Australian sexting literature by measuring (1) changes in the frequency of young people’s sexting activities from 2012 to 2014; (2) young people’s beliefs about sexting; (3) association of demographics, mental health and well-being items, and internet use with sexting; and (4) the relationship between sexting and ICT safety skills. METHODS Computer-assisted telephone interviewing using random digit dialing was used in two Young and Well National Surveys conducted in 2012 and 2014. The participants included representative and random samples of 1400 young people aged 16 to 25 years. RESULTS From 2012 to 2014, two-way sexting (2012: 521/1369, 38.06%; 2014: 591/1400, 42.21%; P=.03) and receiving sexts (2012: 375/1369, 27.39%; 2014: 433/1400, 30.93%; P<.001) increased significantly, not sexting (2012: 438/1369, 31.99%; 2014: 356/1400, 25.43%; P<.001) reduced significantly, whereas sending sexts (2012: n=35/1369, 2.56%; 2014: n=20/1400, 1.43%; P>.05) did not significantly change. In addition, two-way sexting and sending sexts were found to be associated with demographics (male, second language, and being in a relationship), mental health and well-being items (suicidal thoughts and behaviors and body image concerns), and ICT risks (cyberbullying others and late-night internet use). Receiving sexts was significantly associated with demographics (being male and not living with parents or guardians) and ICT risks (being cyberbullied and late-night internet use). Contrary to nonsexters, Pearson correlations demonstrated that all sexting groups (two-way, sending, and receiving) had a negative relationship with endorsing the ICT safety items relating to being careful when using the Web and not giving out personal details. CONCLUSIONS Our research demonstrates that most young Australians are sexting or exposed to sexting in some capacity. Sexting is associated with some negative health and well-being outcomes—specifically, sending sexts is linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, body image issues, and ICT safety risks, including cyberbullying and late-night internet use. Those who do sext are less likely to engage in many preventative ICT safety behaviors. How the community works in partnership with young people to address this needs to be a multifaceted approach, where sexting is positioned within a wider proactive conversation about gender, culture, psychosocial health, and respecting and caring for each other when on the Web.

scholarly journals “Everybody’s responsibility”: Conceptualization of youth mental health in Kenya

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Tamburrino ◽  
Elijah Getanda ◽  
Michelle O’Reilly ◽  
Panos Vostanis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Attribution Of Responsibility ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Disadvantaged Area ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Identity Resolution

There is increasing interest in providing resilience-building interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), but limited evidence on how young people and their carers process mental health and related supports. The aim of this study was to establish stakeholders’ conceptualization of youth mental health in a disadvantaged area of Kenya through focus groups with 7 young people aged 14–17 years and their parents, 9 teachers and 11 practitioners or community leads. The four identified themes related to definitions of both mental well-being and mental health problems; a range of contributing factors related to identity resolution, parenting, poverty and social media; attribution of responsibility at different socio-ecological levels; and required awareness, supports and interventions at these levels. Stakeholders, notably young people, are thus essential in the development and planning of user-led and culturally appropriate interventions in LMIC.

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