Our research has found that schools should be conducting mental health and wellbeing checks.
My Mind Check is a non-diagnostic, simple and easy to complete check-in that includes mental health risk factors and protective factors. Participation is voluntary for schools and students and is an opportunity to better understand how they are feeling about their mental health and wellbeing.
My Mind Check is part of the Australian government’s ‘Plan to Help our School Kids Bounce Back’ and is free to Australian schools. It meets Commonwealth standards of cyber security and privacy and is supported by an independent security evaluation.
Previous research by Macquarie University involving over 14,000 school students in New South Wales, found students who participated in routine check-ins reported significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression, and spent fewer days absent from school compared to their peers who did not take part.
Supporting youth mental health
You can find fact sheets, programs and resources to support your child’s specific mental health concerns below. If you would like more information, you can also visit Kids Helpline and Head to Health.
A number of free and confidential phone and online mental health support services are also available for young Australians. Visit Need support now.
My Mind Check has applied stringent guidelines when selecting programs and resources, and sourced fact sheets from reputable Australian government supported organisations. We have carefully selected resources to enhance support and information access for you and your child.
Anxiety may significantly impact your child’s life and their ability to learn and engage in the classroom. It may also affect their relationships with family, friends and school staff and result in fear of certain situations or objects and even an avoidance of learning and opportunities to participate.
Attention relates to how we focus day-to-day, on ordinary, usually mundane, tasks and our ability to concentrate on that task without being distracted. It is also our ability to effortlessly switch our attention between different tasks and our ability to sustain their attention for longer time periods.
Brief periods of feeling sad and down can be a typical response to life events and challenges. However, if your child appears to be feeling down, irritable and increasingly withdrawn for longer periods of time, and is also losing interest in their appearance and usual enjoyable activities, this could signify a longer-term problem with mood.
Body image and eating difficulties can impact physical health, growth and development, emotional wellbeing and overall quality of life. It is common for males and females of all ages and body types to experience body image concerns and to feel less confident.
Friendships and peer interactions can be a normal, and sometimes challenging, part of growing up. Effectively communicating the distinction between typical, occasional peer relationship difficulties versus peer victimisation is crucial in supporting children and teenagers through challenging times.
Internalising problems refer to difficulties children may have in managing thoughts and feelings. This may include worrying a lot, or feeling sad. For some children, these negative thoughts and feelings may start to impact their life including their ability to learn at school and their relationships with family, friends and school staff.
Externalising problems refer to difficulties children may experience with regulating their attention, managing emotions, and their behaviour. Children with externalising problems may be easily distracted and have trouble concentrating, following parent or teacher instructions and be irritable or easily angered.
