Mental Health of 13-17 Year-Olds in Australia: Findings From the National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being

• NCJ Number: 217577
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 36 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2007 Pages: 185-194
• Author(s): M. G. Sawyer; L. R. Miller-Lewis; J. J. Clark
• Date Published: February 2007
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This Australian study examined the prevalence of mental health problems and rates of health-risk behaviors for 1,490 adolescents ages 13-17.

Abstract

In parent reports, 13 percent of adolescents were identified as having mental health problems. In adolescent reports, 19 percent were identified as having mental health problems. Adolescents with the highest rate of mental health problems also had the highest rate of health-risk behaviors. Only a minority of adolescents with mental health problems received professional services for their problems. Adolescents identified as having mental health problems on parent reports were more likely to have received professional services compared to adolescents who self-reported mental health problems. This suggests that adolescents rely on parents and caregivers in taking the initiative to seek help for them. Adolescents reported that practical issues such as cost, lack of information, and long waiting lists were the major obstacles to their getting help. These findings highlight the important role of school counselors in delivering mental health services to adolescents in Australia. The study used data from the 1,490 adolescents ages 13-17 who participated in Australia's National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. The parent version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV was used by the parents to identify the three mental disorders of interest: depressive disorder, conduct disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The Child Behavior Checklist was completed by the adolescents' primary caregivers, and the Youth Self Report was completed by the adolescents. Relevant items from the Youth Risk Behavior Questionnaire were used to obtain information on health-risk behaviors (cigarette smoking, alcohol use and abuse, and marijuana use over the past 30 days). 7 tables and 24 references