Michelle Blanchard, Senior Research Officer, Inspire Foundation
(www.inspire.org.au) and PhD
Candidate, Orygen Youth Heath Research Centre, Centre for Youth
Mental Health, University of
Melbourne (www.oyh.org.au)
Young people with mental disorders are still not receiving the help
they need. Just
13.2% of young men aged 16-24 and 31.2% of females aged 16-24 who
experienced a
mental disorder in the last 12 months accessed a mental health
service in the same
period (Slade et al., 2009). In 2005, one in six (16.6%) of NSW
high school students
reported high levels of psychological distress. Out of those who
experienced high
psychological distress one third talked to no-one about it and
another one third talked
to someone but found it did not help (Centre for Epidemiology &
Research, 2008)
Access Economics estimates that in 2009 untreated mental illness
experienced by young
people cost Australia $10.6 billion, including lost productivity,
welfare payments, health and
carer costs (Access Economics, 2009). If left untreated, the
effects of anxiety and depression
can continue into adulthood where further occupational, economic
and interpersonal difficulties
can arise. Appropriate and timely help-seeking can successfully
reduce the long term impact of
many mental health difficulties (Rickwood et al., 2007), however
just only 29% of young people
who require clinical care seek help (Burns et al., 2010). Of those
who do receive help, many do
not receive appropriate evidence-based treatments in a timely
manner (Andrews et al., 2000,
Libby et al., 2007).
The help-negation effect means that as a young person spirals
downwards and experiences
increasingly distressing suicidal thoughts they are less likely to
see help face to face.
Research by Coralie Wilson and her colleagues at the University of
Wollongong has recently
demonstrated that higher levels of suicidal ideation are related to
lower help-seeking intentions
for family, friends, and professional mental health care, and
higher intentions to seek help from
no one (Wilson et al., 2010).
However, some clinicians are starting to report that despite the
help-negation effect young
people may still turn to technologies like telephone helplines, SMS
messaging, email or online
counselling or online interventions when times are tough. These
tools can provide a less
confronting setting in which a young person can connect if they are
uncertain about asking for
help.
These tools can also help to build a therapeutic alliance over an
ongoing period which means
that the clinician is able to notice changes in a young person
quickly and that the young person
feels more confident seeking help if or when they need it.
Have you seen the help-negation effect at work in your practice?
Have you found technologies
effective in overcoming the help-negation effect?
Michelle Blanchard, Senior Research Officer, Inspire
Foundation (www.inspire.org.au) and PhD Candidate, Orygen
Youth Heath Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health,
University of Melbourne (www.oyh.org.au)
Young people with mental disorders are still not receiving the
help they need. Just 13.2% of young men aged 16-24 and 31.2%
of females aged 16-24 who experienced a mental disorder in the
last 12 months accessed a mental health service in the
same period (Slade et al., 2009). In 2005, one in six (16.6%)
of NSW high school students reported high levels of
psychological distress. Out of those who experienced
high psychological distress one third talked to no-one about
it and another one third talked to someone but found it did
not help (Centre for Epidemiology & Research, 2008)
Access Economics estimates that in 2009 untreated mental illness
experienced by young people cost Australia $10.6 billion,
including lost productivity, welfare payments, health
and carer costs (Access Economics, 2009). If left untreated,
the effects of anxiety and depression can continue into
adulthood where further occupational, economic and interpersonal
difficulties can arise. Appropriate and timely help-seeking
can successfully reduce the long term impact of many mental
health difficulties (Rickwood et al., 2007), however just only 29%
of young people who require clinical care seek help (Burns et
al., 2010). Of those who do receive help, many do not receive
appropriate evidence-based treatments in a timely manner (Andrews
et al., 2000, Libby et al., 2007).
The help-negation effect means that as a young person spirals
downwards and experiences increasingly distressing suicidal
thoughts they are less likely to see help face to
face. Research by Coralie Wilson and her colleagues at the
University of Wollongong has recently demonstrated that higher
levels of suicidal ideation are related to lower help-seeking
intentions for family, friends, and professional mental health
care, and higher intentions to seek help from no one (Wilson
et al., 2010).
However, some clinicians are starting to report that despite the
help-negation effect young people may still turn to
technologies like telephone helplines, SMS messaging, email or
online counselling or online interventions when times are
tough. These tools can provide a less confronting setting in
which a young person can connect if they are uncertain about asking
for help.
These tools can also help to build a therapeutic alliance over
an ongoing period which means that the clinician is able to
notice changes in a young person quickly and that the young
person feels more confident seeking help if or when they need
it.
Have you seen the help-negation effect at work in your practice?
Have you found technologies effective in overcoming the
help-negation effect?