Previous research has demonstrated wellbeing benefits for positive education programmes (PEPs) facilitated by clinicians or experts or outside the school context. The current study explored the effects of a Year 10 PEP led by teachers trained in positive education and embedded within the Australian secondary school context. A mixed-methods design…

Background: Excessive worry during adolescence can significantly impact mental health. Understanding adolescent concerns may help inform mental health early intervention strategies. Objective: This study aimed to identify frequent concerns among Australian secondary school students, exploring individual and demographic differences. Whether…

Secondary school year advisors fulfil an important relationship-building, middle leadership position in schools. Although responsible for supporting the wellbeing of students with a range of academic, social, and emotional needs, there is limited research into year advisor's role and the support provided for these educators. This qualitative study…

School belonging, sometimes referred to as school belonging or school connectedness, involves dimensions like positive affect towards school, relationships with teachers, and feeling socially valued. Previous research points to immediate benefits for students' mental health and wellbeing; however, evidence on the potential long-term benefits of…

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in Australian adolescent males and rates are gradually increasing. Prompt attention to this issue is needed to stem the rising rates and prevent young boys from taking their lives. School based programs are an obvious place for prevention to occur as they have the capacity to impact a majority of…

Holistic and ecological approaches to mental health support have been identified by many as best-practice approaches for creating and sustaining well-being. Those who experience mental health challenges including, for example, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), often struggle to find adequate, sustainable and ongoing care from clinical…

Many mental illnesses have onset during adolescence, and if untreated may have long-term negative outcomes. Parents and school counsellors can assist adolescents by monitoring for mental illness and facilitating appropriate support. The present study investigated parents' mental health literacy (MHL), preferred views of school counsellor roles,…

This publication combines the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)'s practice guides, practice resources and explainer on delivering reading interventions in a secondary school multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), with details of the methodology used to create these resources. AERO has developed a suite of guidance in partnership…

Background: Mental health problems are a growing and significant issue in the Australian education system. Research has suggested that resilience can be learned and that schools can play an important role in developing resilient skills among youth; however, rigorous evaluation of interventions promoting resilience is limited. Aims: As martial arts…

Background: Schools are at the forefront of promoting positive mental health and wellbeing through the implementation of evidence-based actions. Few Australian studies however have explored the views and experiences of school staff and parents as to what best supports secondary school students who struggle with positive mental health. Aims: This…

An approach to action research of innovative and disruptive socioecological understandings of young people's wellbeing, resilience, and engagement in middle school was piloted with a coalition of school principals, lead teachers, police, and community development professionals by an RMIT research team. This coalition was built around the…

The purpose of this article is to describe what needs to happen in Australian schools to provide effective literacy support for adolescent students with reading difficulties. The central thesis of this paper is that the Response to Intervention (RtI) model provides a useful framework for organizing multi-tiered evidence-based reading interventions…

Background: teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) is an Australian school-based universal program for grade 10 to 12 students. tMHFA teaches teens how to recognize and respond to a peer in crisis or experiencing mental health concerns. Methods: Schools implementing tMHFA in 2019 and 2020 were propensity score matched, yielding a sample of…

There is considerable need to understand the current impact of COVID-19 on young people, particularly with regard to widespread global school closures and remote learning. This research provides an overview of school counselling use during a 5-week (April-May, 2020) remote learning (learning from home) for an Australia Prep to Grade 12 school,…

Smartphone ownership estimates indicate the vast majority of young people are engaging with smartphone devices. The medium offers a promising opportunity for psychologists to connect with young people seeking help to traverse challenges with mental health, behaviour, learning and wellbeing. However, the views of young people using apps alongside…