We worked with the Queensland Family and Child Commission to develop three youth-focused videos to encourage help-seeking, improve awareness, and educate young people about their right and ability to consent to and access mental health services on their own.
The initiative flowed from a recommendation of the Child Death Review Board.
What we did
In its 2020–2021 Annual Report, the Child Death Review Board made the following recommendation to the Commission and the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC):
Recommendation 8: The CDRB recommends: the Queensland Mental Health Commission and the Queensland Family and Child Commission develop and deliver youth-friendly messages to raise awareness about mental health services for children and young people, and about their right and ability to consent to and access these.
To address this recommendation, we worked with the QFCC to develop a new series of youth-focused videos. The video series aims to:
- encourage help-seeking from young people experiencing mental health challenges or mental ill-health
- improve awareness about the availability of specialised, free and confidential youth mental health services
- encourage peer-to-peer support, and
- educate children and young people about their right and ability to consent to and access mental health services without requiring parental consent.
The videos were developed in the context of some young people having adverse family environments.
Young people were involved throughout the video development process, including consulting with the QFCC Youth Advocates on the key issues, and obtaining input and ideas from young people during the concept phase through to storyboarding and design.
The videos were also provided to young people for testing and feedback (including on the script and style).
The campaign page includes all of the videos and some additional information for children and young people about their ability to consent to and access mental health services.
How does this support reform?
This video series aims to support prevention and early intervention efforts among young people.
Young people are disproportionately impacted by mental ill-health and illness, with evidence showing the prevalence has increased in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Data also shows that suicide is the leading cause of death among young people in Australia, with young males at particular risk.
These videos will be further supported by a targeted response to youth suicide, also recommended in the Child Death Review Board 2020–2021 Annual Report (Recommendation 6).
