scholarly journals From Qualitative Research to Online Youth Mental Health Animations: Description of a Novel Knowledge Transfer Project (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Coughlan ◽  
David Quin ◽  
Kevin O'Brien ◽  
Jack Deacon ◽  
Naoise Kavanagh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Being Bullied

BACKGROUND Mental ill-health is one of the most significant health and social issues affecting young people globally. To address the mental health crisis a number of cross-sectoral research and action priorities have been identified. These include the adoption of meaningful knowledge transfer activities and the use of digital technologies. There are, however, few examples of knowledge transfer activities involving collaborations between researchers, the Arts and online platforms in the field of youth mental health. OBJECTIVE The primary aim of this project was to translate qualitative research findings from into a series of online public mental health animations targeting young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years. A further aim was to track online social media engagement and viewing data for the animations for a period of 12 months. METHODS Qualitative data were collected from a sample of 17 Irish youth aged 18-21 years as part of the longitudinal population-based Adolescent Brain Development study. Interviews explored the life histories and the emotional and mental health of participants. Narrative analysis revealed five thematic findings relating to young people’s emotional and mental health. Through a collaboration between research, the Arts and the online sector, these empirical thematic findings were translated into five public health animations. The animations were hosted and promoted on three social media platforms of the Irish youth health website, SpunOut.ie. Engagement and viewing data were collected over a 12-month period. RESULTS Thematic analysis revealed that anxiety, depression, feeling different, loneliness and being bullied were common experiences for young people. These thematic findings formed the basis of the animations. During the 12 months following the launch of the animations, they achieved over 550,000 impressions on the SpunOut.ie Facebook, Twitter and YouTube platforms. The animations were viewed almost 16,000 times. A majority of engagement and views occurred during the period of the social media ad campaign at a cost of 3.5 cent per view. There was a low rate of link clicks from social media platforms to the host website during the promotion period. Animations on feeling different and being bullied accounted for the majority of impressions and views. CONCLUSIONS This project demonstrates that online animations provide an accessible means of translating and sharing empirical research findings and are a cost-effective way to provide information about mental health, coping and help-seeking. Cross-sectoral collaboration is required to leverage the knowledge and expertise required to maximise the quality and potential reach of any knowledge transfer activities. Additionally, paid promotion is essential to reach non-help-seeking young people on their native social media platforms and is important in maximising the reach and impact of online public health promotion.

scholarly journals Young People's Use of Digital Tools to Support Their Mental Health During Covid-19 Restrictions

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudette Pretorius ◽  
David Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Google Search

Young adulthood represents a sensitive period for young people's mental health. The lockdown restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced young people's access to traditional sources of mental health support. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the online resources young people were using to support their mental health during the first lockdown period in Ireland. It made use of an anonymous online survey targeted at young people aged 18–25. Participants were recruited using ads on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat. A total of 393 respondents completed the survey. Many of the respondents indicated that they were using social media (51.4%, 202/393) and mental health apps (32.6%, 128/393) as sources of support. Fewer were making use of formal online resources such as charities (26%, 102/393) or professional counseling services (13.2%, 52/393). Different social media platforms were used for different purposes; Facebook was used for support groups whilst Instagram was used to engage with influencers who focused on mental health issues. Google search, recommendations from peers and prior knowledge of services played a role in how resources were located. Findings from this survey indicate that digital technologies and online resources have an important role to play in supporting young people's mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted these digital tool's potential as well as how they can be improved to better meet young people's needs.

scholarly journals Who asked you? Young People and practitioners identify ways to facilitate access to mental health supports

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Ann Colleran ◽  
Anne O'Connor ◽  
Michael J. Hogan ◽  
Owen M. Harney ◽  
Hannah Durand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Collective Intelligence ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Population Mental Health ◽  
Potential Impact

Background: Despite representing the highest level of total population mental health burden, young people are the least likely to seek help from mental health services. It has been suggested that service design can influence the likelihood that young people will look for help, but little is known about how young people would like a service to be designed. This study addresses a gap in research regarding how mental health services can be designed to facilitate access for young people.                          Methods: A collective intelligence, scenario-based design methodology was used to facilitate stakeholders to identify and prioritise ways to improve youth mental health services. In total, 74 15–17-year-olds from three geographically diverse schools in Ireland worked to identify barriers to help-seeking and to generate and prioritise options in response to barriers. Nine practitioners with experience of working in youth mental health services rated all options in terms of both potential impact on help-seeking and feasibility for service implementation. Results: A total of 326 barriers across 15 themes were generated by youth stakeholders, along with 133 options in response to barriers. Through a process of voting, young people identified 30 options as the most impactful for improving access to mental health services. Of these options, 12 were also rated by practitioners as having both high potential impact and high feasibility. These 12 options focused on four areas: making services more familiar and welcoming; providing specialist mental health input in schools; improving parental understanding; and improving the visibility of appropriate supports. Conclusions: The results of the current study inform mental health service innovation and development, in particular, by highlighting potentially impactful and feasible ways to adapt existing mental health services to improve young people’s help-seeking behaviour.

Evaluation of a Social Media Campaign on Youth Mental Health Stigma and Help-Seeking

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Aaron Thompson ◽  
Steve Hollis ◽  
Keith C. Herman ◽  
Wendy M. Reinke ◽  
Kristin Hawley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Media Campaign

The Relationship Between Highly Visual Social Media and Young People’s Mental Health: A Scoping Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alanna McCrory
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
The Impact

UNSTRUCTURED Users of highly visual social media (HVSM), such as Snapchat and Instagram, share their messages through images, rather than relying on words. A significant proportion of people that use these platforms are adolescents. Previous research reveals mixed evidence regarding the impact of online social technologies on this age group’s mental wellbeing, but it is uncertain whether the psychological effects of visual content alone differ from text-driven social media. This scoping review maps existing literature that has published evidence about highly visual social media, specifically its psychological impact on young people. Nine electronic databases and grey literature from 2010 until March 2019 were reviewed for articles describing any aspect of visual social media, young people and their mental health. The screening process retrieved 239 articles. With the application of eligibility criteria, this figure was reduced to 25 articles for analysis. Results indicate a paucity of data that exclusively examines HVSM. The predominance of literature relies on quantitative methods to achieve its objectives. Many findings are inconsistent and lack the richness that qualitative data may provide to explore the reasons for theses mixed findings.

Comparing Representation of Depression on Reddit and Twitter Social Media Platforms (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan Kaji ◽  
Maggie Bushman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Twitter Users

BACKGROUND Adolescents with depression often turn to social media to express their feelings, for support, and for educational purposes. Little is known about how Reddit, a forum-based platform, compares to Twitter, a newsfeed platform, when it comes to content surrounding depression. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to identify differences between Reddit and Twitter concerning how depression is discussed and represented online. METHODS A content analysis of Reddit posts and Twitter posts, using r/depression and #depression, identified signs of depression using the DSM-IV criteria. Other youth-related topics, including School, Family, and Social Activity, and the presence of medical or promotional content were also coded for. Relative frequency of each code was then compared between platforms as well as the average DSM-IV score for each platform. RESULTS A total of 102 posts were included in this study, with 53 Reddit posts and 49 Twitter posts. Findings suggest that Reddit has more content with signs of depression with 92% than Twitter with 24%. 28.3% of Reddit posts included medical content compared to Twitter with 18.4%. 53.1% of Twitter posts had promotional content while Reddit posts didn’t contain promotional content. CONCLUSIONS Users with depression seem more willing to discuss their mental health on the subreddit r/depression than on Twitter. Twitter users also use #depression with a wider variety of topics, not all of which actually involve a case of depression.

Sexual and Gender Minority Mental Health among Children and Youth

2020 ◽  
pp. 228-243
Author(s):  
Jessica N. Fish ◽  
Laura Baams ◽  
Jenifer K. McGuire
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
The World ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) young people are coming of age at a time of dynamic social and political changes with regard to LGBTQ rights and visibility around the world. And yet, contemporary cohorts of SGM youth continue to evidence the same degree of compromised mental health demonstrated by SGM youth of past decades. The authors review the current research on SGM youth mental health, with careful attention to the developmental and contextual characteristics that complicate, support, and thwart mental health for SGM young people. Given a large and rapidly growing body of science in this area, the authors strategically review research that reflects the prevalence of these issues in countries around the world but also concentrate on how mental health concerns among SGM children and youth are shaped by experiences with schools, families, and communities. Promising mental health treatment strategies for this population are reviewed. The chapter ends with a focus on understudied areas in the SGM youth mental health literature, which may offer promising solutions to combat SGM population health disparities and promote mental health among SGM young people during adolescence and as they age across the life course.

Youth mental health competencies in regional general practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 103985622097005
Author(s):  
Oliver Smith ◽  
Jessica Bergmann ◽  
Ulrich Schall
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Problem ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Young Patients ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Young Person ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Hunter Region

Objective: General practitioners (GPs) are key health professionals for referrals to mental health specialists. Youth mental health issues are particularly challenging, requiring a competent assessment and understanding of appropriate referral pathways. We surveyed local GPs about their understanding of youth mental health problems and needs to competently look after young patients. Methods: GPs working in the Hunter region were contacted via email, fax and post over a 6-month period in 2019. Results: Seventy-five GPs participated. They reported 577 of 1698 (34%) of young people seen 2 weeks prior to being surveyed presented with a mental health problem. Predominantly, referrals were to private practice psychologists and Headspace. Almost a third (31%) reported having limited understanding of ‘at-risk mental state’ and are ‘not always comfortable’ when facing a young person with a mental health problem. Nearly all (95%) expressed interest in attending specialised training. GPs identified treatment costs, scarce access to psychiatrists and limited patient engagement as the main obstacles to help young people. Conclusions: Effective treatment of a mental health problem relies on early identification. GPs are seeing young people on a regular basis but don’t feel well equipped for this task and are keen to up-skill, which needs to be addressed by targeted training.

scholarly journals Positive Organisational Arts-Based Youth Scholarship: Redressing Discourse on Danger, Disquiet, and Distress during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5655
Author(s):  
Ann Dadich ◽  
Katherine M. Boydell ◽  
Stephanie Habak ◽  
Chloe Watfern
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Difficult Times

This methodological article argues for the potential of positive organisational arts-based youth scholarship as a methodology to understand and promote positive experiences among young people. With reference to COVID-19, exemplars sourced from social media platforms and relevant organisations demonstrate the remarkable creative brilliance of young people. During these difficult times, young people used song, dance, storytelling, and art to express themselves, (re)connect with others, champion social change, and promote health and wellbeing. This article demonstrates the power of positive organisational arts-based youth scholarship to understand how young people use art to redress negativity via a positive lens of agency, peace, collectedness, and calm.

scholarly journals Mental health of young Brazilians: Barriers to professional help-seeking

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Cristina FUKUDA ◽  
Maria Aparecida PENSO ◽  
Deise Matos do AMPARO ◽  
Bruno Coimbras de ALMEIDA ◽  
Camila de Aquino MORAIS
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Private School ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Positive Effects

The present study investigated the perception of young Brazilians of professional help and barriers to seeking mental health services. A total of the 1,030 questionnaires were administered to young people aged 8-21 years of both genders attending public and private school or who had received or were receiving treatement at mental health facilities in three Brazilian cities. The data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and comparison between means. The results showed fear of stigmatization as a major barrier to seeking mental health treatment, exerting greater impact than that of structural barriers. Regional differences influenced their perception of the treatment. Having undergone previous mental health treatment was found to be related to a greater perception of the positive effects of the treatment and the structural barriers to accessing care services. It was found that the onset of mental disorders usually occurs during early adolescence. School-related issues, anxiety, fear, and depression were the most common reasons for mental health treatment seeking among young people.

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