Tackling self-harm in youth: Findings from a mental health promotion intervention in regional Queensland Schools

Even though mental health in children and youth is a national priority, more than half of Australian young people do not seek help for mental health problems because they perceive a stigma and lack of helpfulness in health science providers There is evidence that incidence of self-harm, bullying and lack of meaningful social connections are increasing. Within regional communities the situation is even bleaker, where young people are hospitalised for self-harm at twice the rate of young people living in major cities, and are less likely to present to services for help. This makes youth living in regional and remote areas a particularly vulnerable population in Australian societv. In order to empower young people in regional areas to engage in self-care and care to peers, the iCARE-R mental health promotion program was developed. The nurse-led iCARE program, in its fourth iteration, has been customised to appeal to young people from regional areas. An intervention and mixed method study has been delivered over two years targeting 25 regional Queensland high schools. The program is explicitly solution focused and uses a range of engaging strategies to stimulate reflection on self-care, resilience and social connection. An innovative online component was developed on the dedicated iCARE website to encourage students to share images reflecting symbols of strength, helpful habits and peace. iCARE helps guide young people through the discovery process of finding their own unique strengths, to develop these and enlist them in times of distress, helping them become more confident, more optimistic about the future, and better able to navigate obstacles they meet in everyday life. This is supported by emerging results indicating young people develop new knowledge around empathy, resilience, respect, connection, caring for self and helping others to improve their mental health and wellbeing while building optimism and strength in the whole community.