Digital technologies provide new opportunities to support mental health, but also present challenges. Young Australians commonly use the internet and mobile phones to connect socially and seek health information. The Youth and Wellbeing Cooperative Research Centre aims to leverage these technologies through an online wellbeing center, digital stories, and e-mental health clinics. It will train professionals and educate young people on digital resilience to enable all Australians to grow up healthy and resilient.

1. Digital Resilience: A New Way of Thinking About the Prevention of Mental Health Problems Michelle Blanchard michelle@yawcrc.org.au Information and Communication Technologies Seminar, Melbourne 2011 Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 1

2. Presentation Overview The Challenge The Solution YAW-CRC Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 2

3. The Challenge One in six 14 to 19 yr olds have used an illicit drug in last 12 months 1 Young women are more likely to have used illicit drug than males1 One in 3 (31%) young people aged 18-19 report having used at least one illicit drug in the previous 12 months 2 Source: 1. AIHW (2008a) 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey: First Results, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra. 2.ABS (2008) 4102.0 – Australian Social Trends, 2008, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 3

4. Presentation Overview Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 4 The Challenge The Solution YAW-CRC

6. 39% use the internet to seek information about a mental health problem

7. “question and answer” forums and email should be included in an e-mental health platformEnabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 5

8. Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 6 Technology: How do young people use it? The Internet Mobile Phones 95% of Young Australians use the internet on a regular basis Social Networking has changed the way young people interact Smart phones Applications Virtual Worlds and Gaming National Broadband Network Second Life Gaming Connecting Australia Highway in search of a car

9. The future of help seeking “What do you do when a friend is contemplating suicide? Doug didn’t know. So he did what millions of people world-wide do every day when seeking advice, answers and just about everything else. Doug turned to the universal source of information: Google” Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 7

10. Presentation Overview The Challenge The Solution YAW-CRC Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 8

11. YAW-CRC Total Value & Overview Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 9 What we bring: 70 Australian & International Cross-Sectoral Partnerships. Technology solutions. Significant reach & impact. World class science & leadership. The Challenge:$48.6bn. 1m Young Australians. Cash $109.8m In-kind The Legacy:AnInternational Research Institute changing lives worldwide CRC grant = YAW-CRC Total Value $6.7m $75.6m $27.5m

12. Success: Research to Utilisation Case study:What YAW-CRC will meanfor a young person Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 10 Online Wellbeing Centre YouTube: Digital Story E-mental health clinic Mood Monitoring Online Q&A

13. DigiEd: Education & TrainingWorkforceskilled to utilise the CRC’s outputs via YAW-NET Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 11 Young People & High School University 25 PhDs across disciplines 30 Honours students 300 formal internships at participant organisations Workforce YAW-NET Online seminars Face to face workshops 900 health professionals & educators trained 15 Hopkins international travelling fellowships 500 Community Organisations 600+ parent & community members trained

15. Enabling all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient 13 Our mission:To enable all young Australians to grow up safe, happy, healthy and resilient