As we approach the start of the second school term on Monday, it is important to discuss how we can support and improve students’ mental health. As students return to school they can often experience stress, anxiety, and depression amongst other mental health issues, and digital mental health resources can be a great tool in supporting their wellbeing during and between school semesters.
There are a range of digital mental health resources available to support teachers, school counsellors, students, parents, carers, and anyone else in the school community with mental health concerns. These resources include online programs, information sites, telephone, email and online counselling, peer support, and apps.
For School Communities
The following resources are accessible and appropriate for anyone in school communities seeking mental health support or supporting someone with mental health concerns.
Head to Health
Head to Health is a digital mental health gateway developed by the Australian Government linking Australians to online and phone mental health services, information, and resources.
WellMob
WellMob is a website that provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people culturally relevant social and emotional wellbeing resources on a range of topics including mind, body, our mob, culture, keeping safe, and healing.
Smiling Mind
https://www.smilingmind.com.au/education
Smiling Mind teaches Mindfulness Meditation to young people and adults through their website and app. Through their website, users can access school programs, including training for teachers and education professionals.
ReachOut WorryTime
https://au.reachout.com/tools-and-apps/reachout-worrytime
ReachOut WorryTime is an app developed by ReachOut to help control everyday stress and anxiety by giving you a place to store worries and alerting you when it’s time to think about them. The app is available on the Apple store and Google Play store.
ReachOut Breathe
https://au.reachout.com/tools-and-apps/reachout-breathe
ReachOut Breathe is an app developed by ReachOut to help reduce the physical symptoms of stress and anxiety by slowing down your heart rate with your iPhone or Apple watch. The app is only available on the Apple store.
MoodMission
MoodMission is a free app designed to help individuals overcome low moods and anxiety by discovering new coping strategies. The app is available on the Apple store and Google Play store.
For Schools
The following resources were designed for schools, providing digital support to educators and school counsellors supporting students’ mental health.
ReachOut Schools
https://schools.au.reachout.com/
ReachOut Schools provides information, support, and activities for teachers, as well as parents and carers to help support student wellbeing. Their website provides access to resources on a range of topics including bullying, transition into secondary school, friendship, mental health, resilience, respectful relationships, social media, and student stress.
Be You
Be You was developed by Beyond Blue, Early Childhood Australia, and Headspace, providing information, resources, and strategies for educators supporting young people.
For Students
The following resources were developed to support student’s mental health and wellbeing.
Kids Helpline
https://kidshelpline.com.au/about/about-khl
1800 55 1800
Kids Helpline provides phone and webchat counselling for young people between the age of 5 and 25 years old for support from qualified counsellors at any time for any reason.
Headspace Yarn Safe
https://headspace.org.au/yarn-safe/
Yarn Safe is a service developed by Headspace to provide information and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health. The service offers support on a range of topics including mental health and wellbeing, stress and pressure, relationships, alcohol and drugs, and personal stories.
Headspace
Headspace is a National Youth Mental Health Foundation for young people aged 12 to 25 years old, providing information, advice, and peer support on a range of topics relating to mental health and everyday wellbeing.
eheadspace
https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/
eheadspace is a service from Headspace providing webchat, email, or phone support for young people aged 12 to 25 years old with a range of issues. Their website also provides information, peer support, and counselling.
QLife
QLife is a webchat and phone counselling service for members of the LGBTIQ+ community, including guides, personal stories, links to resources and service providers.
Suicide Call Back Service
https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/
Suicide Call Back Service is a phone and online counselling for people at risk of suicide or those bereaved by suicide. Their services are available for students over the age of 15 who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, coping with suicide, or supporting someone affected by suicide.
Butterfly Foundation
The Butterfly Foundation provides online and phone counselling services, as well as information, and support groups through their website for people concerned about eating disorders and body image issues.
ReachOut
ReachOut provides online mental health support to young Australians under the age of 25. Their website provides information, peer support, programs, and practical tools to help young people through everything from everyday issues to tough times.
BITE BACK
BITE BACK is a mental fitness challenge developed by Black Dog Institute. The challenge includes online activities, psychoeducation, and positive psychology aiming to promote wellbeing and resilience in young people aged 12 to 25.
This Way Up
Teen Worry and Sadness Program
https://thiswayup.org.au/courses/the-teen-mental-health-course/
This Way Up provides self-paced online CBT courses to help users learn practical skills to manage their mental health including a Teen Mental Health course. The course can be undertaken as a self-help program or guided by the user’s own clinician.
The Brave Program
https://brave4you.psy.uq.edu.au/
The Brave program is an interactive online program for the prevention, intervention, and treatment of anxiety in young people. Through their website, users can access either a Young Child Program for young people between the age of 3 and 7, a Child Program for 8-to-12-year old’s, and a Teen Program for 12-to-17-year old’s.
iBobbly
https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/resources-support/digital-tools-apps/ibobbly/
iBobbly is a social and emotional wellbeing self-help app for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 15+ who are feeling sad and down, having suicidal thoughts, or thinking of hurting themselves. The app is available on the Apple store and Google Play store.
Niggle
https://kidshelpline.com.au/niggle
Niggle is an app developed by Kids Helpline as a self-help toolkit for all things related to mental, social, and emotional wellbeing. The app helps young people track their wellbeing, get personalised information, videos, podcasts, quizzes, and tips. The app is available on the Apple store and Google Play store.
Recharge
https://au.reachout.com/tools-and-apps/recharge
The Recharge app is a six-week program to improve mood and energy levels by establishing a good sleep/wake routine by establishing a regular sleep and wake routine, daily reports, exercises, and graphs to monitor user’s progress. The app is only available on the Apple Store.
The Check-in App
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/about-us/about-our-work/young-people/the-check-in-app
The Check-in App, developed by Beyond Blue, is an app to help young people take their fear out of having a conversation with a friend who might be struggling. The app is available on the Apple store and Google Play store.
Breakup Shakeup
https://au.reachout.com/tools-and-apps/breakup-shakeup
The Breakup Shakeup app provides ideas for fun, easy activities young people between the ages of 14 and 25 can do to cope after a breakup. Breakup Shakeup aims to help young people plan activities and increase their social support for a faster recovery. The app is only available on the Apple store.
YourCrew
https://au.reachout.com/tools-and-apps/your-crew
The YourCrew app allows young people to share their feelings and to ask for help when they need it most, from people they know and trust. The app aims to connect people in a reflective, interactive, and fun way to prevent small issues from becoming big ones. The app is available on the Apple store and Google Play store.
For Parents and Carers
The following resources are available for parents or carers supporting young people with mental health concerns.
ReachOut Parents
https://parents.au.reachout.com/
ReachOut Parents provides information, discussion forums, resources, and parent coaching to help parents and carers support the 12 to 18 year olds in their family. Through their website, users can access support for common concerns, building skills, and personal challenges.
Healthy Families
https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/
Healthy Families is a website developed by Beyond Blue, providing information and moderated forums for parents, guardians, and other adults to support the young people in their life while taking care of their own mental health and wellbeing.
eSafety Parents
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
The parents’ component of the eSafety Commissioner website provides webinars, advice, and resources to parents and carers for keeping children and teens safe online. The website provides parenting tools on a range of issues relating to keeping young people safe and healthy online including cyberbullying, sexting, and sending nudes.
Triple P Online
https://www.triplep-parenting.net.au/qld-uken/find-help/triple-p-online/
Triple P Online provides online programs teaching proven strategies for parenting toddlers, pre-teens, and teens. They offer a course for parents of children between the ages of 0 and 12, and for parents of 10 to 16 year olds.
There are also a range of resources available to support students experiencing bullying. To find out more about these resources see our news article ‘Bullying and Violence in Australian School Communities’.
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