Mental Health

This report summarises the findings from an analysis of seven years of Brisbane Youth Service’s assessment data on young people’s mental health diagnoses and self-rated mental health on intake. The report compared key demographic factors such as age, gender, cultural identities, sexuality, experience of disability, and parenthood.

This factsheet summarises the mental health assessment data for gender diverse young people accessing support from Brisbane Youth Service over the last 7 years.

This factsheet summarises the mental health assessment data for sexuality diverse young people accessing support from Brisbane Youth Service over the last 7 years.

This factsheet summarises the mental health assessment data for young people with disability accessing support from Brisbane Youth Service over the last 7 years.

Our study finds that young people who are couchsurfing have much higher levels of psychological distress than their peers in the general population. We suggest, based on these results and others, that homelessness services should reassess how they prioritize and serve young people who are couchsurfing.

Putting therapeutic tools for wellbeing directly into the hands of vulnerable young people, on their phones and devices, seems to make good sense. There are a great number of apps and websites which provide guidance and strategies for enhancing wellbeing, including mental health issues and other life challenges common to young people who are dealing with homelessness and other life crises. This paper shares key learning emerging from youth consultation research into how young people accessing crisis services understand wellbeing and view the potential use of online tools for both therapeutic benefit and to enhance connection to support.

Innovative mental health approaches are needed to increase access to services that are timely, appropriate, youth-friendly, affordable, and support meaningful recovery. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Recovery Orientation Model, used in an on-site counselling service for homeless young people who experience a dual diagnosis (meaning a mental health concern and a substance misuse issue). This paper suggests that youth based mental health approaches need to include clinical indicators of change as well as addressing the impact of social determinants of health.

The Recovery Orientation Model in Action: How Meaningful Change Can, and Does, Happen for Homeless Young People. Innovative mental health approaches are needed to increase access to services that are timely, appropriate, youth-friendly, affordable, and support meaningful recovery.