Adolescents' knowledge of and attitudes towards mental health: a component of the Partnership with Young People Project

Issue Addressed: The Partnership with Young People Project is a statewide mental health promotion project targeting children, adolescents and their carers. One of the key objectives of the Partnership with Young People Project has been to develop an understanding of how young people view mental health, via a mental health survey, to further inform the development of resources and strategies. Methods: A mental health survey was developed by the researchers and administered to 549 students attending public metropolitan and rural secondary schools in South Australia. Results: Young people most commonly associated intellectual disability with mental health (70 per cent of the sample), followed by mental illness and disability. However, participants indicated positive attitudes towards mental health and tended to believe that mental health concerns everyone. The study showed that adolescents believe mental health problems are common in young people, with 22 per cent of the sample identifying depression and suicide as major mental health issues affecting young people in South Australia. So What? The results indicate that young people are unclear about mental health and have difficulty defining the term. This information is critical to the development of relevant and effective strategies for the Partnership with Young People Project specifically and mental health promotion programs for young people generally, given the principle that an understanding of how the community conceptualises mental health is crucial to the success of such programs. (author abstract)