About us

ReachOut.com is a web-based service for young people aged 14-25. It provides information, skills development, support and resources to assist young people to cope with mental health difficulties, manage adversity and find ongoing support in the community. ReachOut.com provides an entry point for all young people, enhancing their mental health literacy and facilitating help-seeking.

The development of Reach Out has been informed by a public health approach, focusing on health promotion, prevention and early intervention. It uses young people's preferred medium of communication and help-seeking (after friends and family) - the internet and other mobile technologies - to connect with young people and target protective factors that are known to positively impact on the mental health and wellbeing of young people. These include positive participation, resilience, life skills (communication, problem solving and optimistic thinking) and social connectedness.

Reach Out works with young people at all levels to ensure it is a trusted and relevant program. Over 330 young people from a variety of backgrounds have been directly involved in the development and delivery of the service since its launch in 1999. Through independent research and online surveys, ReachOut.com has demonstrated significant outcomes for young people including:

• 77% learnt how to get help to improve their own mental health
• 83% reported ReachOut.com is a service they trust
• 83% learnt to recognise issues associated with their own mental health
• 88% of those going through a tough time spoke to someone after visiting ReachOut.com,
• 38% contacted a professional and 15% were considering it
• 90% would return to ReachOut.com if they were going through a tough time. 

Each month Reach Out receives about 140,000 unique visits  and engages with around 250,000 young Australians annually. Overall, youth awareness of Reach Out is over 55% , with levels in rural and regional communities comparable to urban locations.

ReachOut.com has three key sections:

1. Find: contains evidenced-based information on a range of mental health issues, developed in collaboration with young people and experts; and personal stories in which young people talk about the difficulties they have faced and how they have overcome them.
2. Explore: is a tool that allows young people to find information on ReachOut.com based on how they feel.
3. Connect: an area where young people can connect with others and contribute to the development of the Reach Out service. Features include a peer-moderated, supportive community where young people can learn from each other about how to get through difficult times and how to gain professional help.