Young Australians Research Articles

Employment and disability among young Australians and associations with psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundEmerging global data indicates that the employment status and mental health of young people is being adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little research has focused on young people with disabilities, despite their lower pre-pandemic employment rates and poorer mental health. We quantified the association between employment status and mental health among young Australians, and tested for effect modification by disability status. MethodsLinear regression analysis of Wave 9 (October–December 2020) of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) assessing the association between employment status (employed, unemployed) on psychological distress (Kessler-10) and including an interaction term for employment status and disability. ResultsThe association between employment status and psychological distress differed by disability status. Young adults with disabilities had higher adjusted mean K10 scores indicating greater psychological distress both when they were employed (mean 22.99, 95% CI 21.41, 24.58) and unemployed (mean 29.19, 95% CI 25.36, 33.03) compared to their peers without disabilities (employed mean 18.72, 95% CI 17.75, 19.70; unemployed mean 20.45, 95% CI 18.60, 22.29). ConclusionYoung Australians in general may benefit from additional supports to improve their employment and mental health outcomes. Young people with disabilities may particularly benefit from targeted supports to gain and maintain employment and improve mental health.

Does socioeconomic status impact the relationship between school absence and outcomes?

Absence from school, especially frequent or prolonged absence, is acknowledged as a potential factor in school dropout and suboptimal academic achievement. The issue of absence from school took on added significance in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, which resulted in schooling interruptions in several jurisdictions. However, there is little agreement in the literature on the exact relationship between absence and school outcomes as a function of socioeconomic status (SES). Using nationally representative pre-COVID longitudinal data of young Australians aged 12–13 and 14–15, this paper examines the relationship between absence from school on the one hand and school belonging and academic achievement (numeracy and reading test scores) on the other. The paper also examines whether SES intersects this relationship. Controlling for gender, prior educational achievement, computer access, and time spent doing homework, the study finds that absence impacts belonging, but that SES does not significantly influence this relationship. The effect of absence on reading is not significant either. However, absence is associated with numeracy outcomes, with the strongest associations among low SES young people at age 14. Policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Personality factors associated with suicidal ideation, plans and attempts in adolescents

BackgroundSuicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians, therefore identifying factors that increase risk is important. The aims of this study was to investigate the association between personality domains and suicidal ideation, plans and attempts in a community-based sample of adolescents. Methods1428 students from thirteen secondary schools in Australia completed a survey consisting of demographic information (gender and age), personality risk across four domains (Hopelessness, Impulsivity, Sensation Seeking and Anxiety Sensitivity) as measured by the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale, and psychological distress measured by the Distress Questionnaire 5 scale. Outcome measures included suicidal ideation, plans and attempts measured by the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. ResultsStudents were aged between 11 and 17 years old (mean: 13.3, SD = 1.2) with 59% identifying as female. Proportions of participants reporting suicidal ideation, plans and at least one attempt were 14%, 9% and 7% respectively. Hopelessness was associated with twice the odds (OR = 3.1 and 2.9) of suicidal thoughts and plans respectively. Hopelessness also had 45% increased odds for suicide attempt (OR = 2.1), however this was not significant in the suicidal ideation sub-group. Impulsivity and sensation seeking were associated with suicidal ideation (OR = 1.3), while only impulsivity was associated with attempt (OR = 1.5). LimitationsThe study was cross-sectional, considered suicidal thoughts and behaviors in past 12 months only and used one measure of personality. ConclusionsPersonality traits may be important for determining suicide risk in adolescents. Developing screening and interventions targeting personality may have implications for the detection and prevention of suicide.

Constructions of Mexicanidad in Australia: Mexico as an Exoticized, Postcolonial Other

ABSTRACT This qualitative study examines the constructions of the so-called authentic Mexico, mexicanidad, in Australia. The limited contact between Australia and Mexico means that this phenomenon is still in its infancy, and as such, there is a gap in the literature. The aim of this article is to begin to fill this by examining the presence of mexicanidad in urban Australia, and the impact of this on young, urban Australians’ imaginings of Mexico. This study, conducted among Australian university students, examines how imaginings of Mexico, both positive and negative, are constructed by young Australians. The interviewees (re)produced a stylized pastiche of Mexico. Made in urban Australia, this imaginary comprises Frida-Kahlo-themed restaurants, Day-of-the-Dead exotica, and a fascination with the drug cartels. There are few Mexicans in Australia who might contest the misty-eyed Disneyfication of their cultures, and thus, mexicanidad in Australia operates as a vacant conceptual category into which cool yearnings can be inscribed. This article theorizes the construction of the social imaginary of Mexico in Australia, proposing that there is a presence in Australia of a pastiche version of mexicanidad, made up of both positive and negative imaginings. In the absence of a significant local expatriate population, Australian constructions of Mexico draw upon discourses of an exoticized, postcolonial Other. These imaginings operate as a largely empty conceptual box that serves as a holding space for Australians’ myriad desires, expectations and interpretations.

Three-arm randomised controlled trial of an m-health app and digital engagement strategy for improving treatment adherence and reducing suicidal ideation in young people: study protocol

IntroductionYouth suicidal ideation and behaviour is concerning due to its widespread prevalence, morbidity and potentially fatal consequences. Digital mental health interventions have been found to improve access to low-cost and...

Addressing legal needs of young people in Out-of-Home Care: Practitioners call for radical change

Young Australians exiting Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) face some of the most challenging access to justice issues due to experiences of trauma, increased interactions with the justice system, distrust of government services, high rates of socioeconomic disadvantage and a lack of accessible support services. This article outlines the experience of the Mid North Coast Legal Centre (MNCLC) which, through the LevelUP Project, aimed to bridge this access to justice gap with a shake-up of the traditional legal services model. Through this experience, MNCLC offers some suggestions for legal centres seeking to improve access to justice for this disadvantaged group.

Comparing children’s and teens’ news engagement practices and affective news experiences

ABSTRACT Studies that examine the news engagement practices of school students usually examine children or teenagers, and this precludes an examination of the similarities and differences between these groups. In 2020, we carried out a nationally representative survey of the news practices and experiences of young Australians aged 8–16 years and we compared the results for those aged 8–12 years and 13–16 years. The findings demonstrate that family is the most common source of news for both groups. Nonetheless, there is a significant shift that takes place as children enter their teen years, whereby they become far more likely to get news online from social media, news websites and apps. The impact of this shift is not straightforward, however. Contrary to our expectations, this development does not appear to increase the degree to which young people say news is important to them and it is not strongly correlated with their self-reported affective experience of news. Overall though, we find that the method young people use to get news and their affective experience of news engagement are significant predictors for their motivation to want to act on or respond to news.

Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians

Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians

Religious homophily and friendship: socialisation between Muslim minority and Anglo majority youth in Australia

ABSTRACT In this paper, we provide an analysis of the main dynamics behind the patterns of friendship between Muslim youth and the Anglo-Australian majority in Australia, from the perspectives of young Muslim Australians. In particular, we focus on the extent to which race and religiosity play a role in shaping these friendship patterns. We use qualitative data obtained from 64 face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with young Muslims between the ages of 18 and 24. Building upon the existing notions of religious homophily, we show that our respondents separate public acquaintances from close friendships and confine their acquaintances with the Anglo-Australians to the public sphere. Young Muslim Australians perceive the drinking culture of Anglo-Australians as a major barrier to socialisation in private spaces.

Study protocol for the Multimodal Approach to Preventing Suicide in Schools (MAPSS) project: a regionally based randomised trial of an integrated response to suicide risk among secondary school students

BackgroundSuicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians, accounting for one-third of all deaths in those under 25. Schools are a logical setting for youth suicide prevention activities, with universal, selective and indicated approaches all demonstrating efficacy. Given that international best practice recommends suicide prevention programmes combine these approaches, and that to date this has not been done in school settings, this study aims to evaluate a suicide prevention programme incorporating universal, selective and indicated components in schools.MethodsThis study is a trial of a multimodal suicide prevention programme for young people. The programme involves delivering universal psychoeducation (safeTALK) to all students, screening them for suicide risk, and delivering internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Reframe IT) to those students identified as being at high risk for suicide. The programme will be trialled in secondary schools in Melbourne, Australia, and target year 10 students (15 and 16 year-olds). safeTALK and screening will be evaluated using a single group pre-test/post-test case series, and Reframe IT will be evaluated in a Randomised Controlled Trial. The primary outcome is change in suicidal ideation; other outcomes include help-seeking behaviour and intentions, and suicide knowledge and stigma. The programme’s cost-effectiveness will also be evaluated.DiscussionThis study is the first to evaluate a suicide prevention programme comprising universal, selective and indicated components in Australian schools. If the programme is found to be efficacious and cost-effective, it could be more widely disseminated in schools and may ultimately lead to reduced rates of suicide and suicidal behaviour in school students across the region.

In their own words: 41 stories of young people’s digital citizenship

ABSTRACT Digital citizenship and cyber safety are often used interchangeably in the context of young people’s internet use, depicting the young person as passive, vulnerable and in need of adult intervention to navigate an unsafe online environment and perpetuating reductive and deterministic initiatives that rarely respond to young people’s own online perspectives and experiences. This discussion maps recent definitions and debates about digital citizenship and cyber safety. It draws from 41 stories of young Australians aged 12–18 to think about young people’s digital citizenship within the wider context of their lived citizenship. Reflecting the deeply relational nature of young people’s experiences as digital actors and how they creatively perform their citizenship online, it suggests that young people’s accounts provide an opportunity to consider how citizenship is understood through digital lives and to direct educational responses that encompass emergent civic cultures emerging from young people’s performance as digital citizens.

Future ready? Engaging learners and building transferable skills through authentic assessment and digital literacy

Students are excited by the possibilities presented through digital technologies and their applicability across a broad range of industries. Digital literacy has been identified as a foundational 21st Century skill by the Australian Government (2020, p. 4), which is ‘essential for individuals to participate effectively in today’s society’. The need for strong transferable skills has accelerated during the pandemic as many industries have migrated to digital contexts. Digital literacy is a transferable skill sought after by employers, alongside other emerging transferable skills required for 21st Century success, including critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving (FYA 2017, p. 8). In this paper, we will provide a case study of authentic assessment in an innovative digital literacy course at an Australian university, designed to support students from underrepresented backgrounds to build transferable skills for degree study and future careers.
 
 Authentic assessment provides opportunities for meaningful learning as students complete assessments aligned with their aspirations and career interests: ‘Authenticity automatically gives relevance to the learning journey; relevance encourages engagement and enthusiasm, which should bring about meaningful learning’ (ACEL 2016). The scaffolded course design focuses on embedding professional practice through authentic assessment. Recent student projects include: an infographic of wellbeing techniques for children designed for educational contexts, an informative website to support refugees, a share-economy inspired app for deep cleaning, an infographic on sustainable architecture, a blog on brand development, and a review of robot programming for IT students. We will provide strategies for authentic assessment through technology-enhanced learning, which will offer insight and inspiration for educators interested in adopting these approaches.
 Choice is a key element of course design, allowing students to demonstrate key concepts through the creation of unique and meaningful projects. First, students demonstrate threshold concepts, then they follow industry practice to pitch and produce an individual digital project. Course design is grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and enabling pedagogy (Stokes 2017). UDL techniques, including multiple modes of representation, action and expression, and engagement, support the learning of all students (CAST 2011). Enabling pedagogical approaches work to support the development of confidence, capability and agency, while valuing the strengths individual students bring (Stokes 2021). Students aiming for diverse fields have followed their interests to create digital projects aligned with their career aspirations, from game development to health apps, business sites to educational modules, critical digital reviews to music videos, animations to augmented and virtual reality content. Production work is negotiated with tutors, who provide guidance and mentorship, following a production company ethos. Students adhere to industry standards for copyright and ethical practice in assessments, while building their professional portfolio and skills for future success.
 The combination of digital literacy and authentic assessments motivates students to follow their passions and create digital products they care about. This approach has resulted in outstanding student evaluations and learning outcomes, above average retention, and institutional recognition through a Digital Learning citation. Importantly, this approach supports students to build professional skills and knowledge for emerging industries and future career opportunities.
 References
 
 ACEL. (2016). Authentic learning: what, why and how? e-Teaching, 10. http://www.acel.org.au/acel/ACEL_docs/Publications/e-Teaching/2016/e-Teaching_2016_10.pdf
 Australian Government. (2020). Foundation Skills for Your Future Program: Digital Literacy Skills Framework, Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
 Australian Technology Network. (2020). ATN joint statement on authentic assessment, Australian Technology Network. https://www.atn.edu.au/news-and-events/latest-news/atn-joint-statement-on-authentic-assessment
 CAST. (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines Version 2.0. Massachusetts: Wakefield.
 Foundation for Young Australians (2017). The new work smarts. https://www.fya.org.au/report/the-new-work-smarts
 Stokes, J. (2017). Inclusion and engagement by design: Creating a digital literacy course to inspire diverse learners in an​ Australian university enabling program. International Studies in Widening Participation, 4(2), 65–78. https://novaojs.newcastle.edu.au/ceehe/index.php/iswp/article/download/85/103 ​
 Stokes, J. (2021). Those skills to take on the world: developing capitals through university enabling programs. The International Journal of Learning in Higher Education, 28 (2), 133-146. DOI: 10.18848/2327-7955/CGP/v28i02/133-146 
 

The Mental Health and Social Media Use of Young Australians during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Young people may be particularly vulnerable to the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and may also be more likely to use social media at this time. This study aimed to explore young people’s mental health and social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined their use of social media to seek and provide support for suicidal thoughts and self-harm during this period. Young people aged 16–25 (n = 371, M = 21.1) from the general population in Australia completed an anonymous, cross-sectional online survey advertised on social media from June to October 2020. Participants reported high levels of psychological distress, with over 40% reporting severe levels of anxiety and depression, and those with a mental health diagnosis were more likely to perceive the pandemic to have had a negative impact on their mental health. Gender-diverse participants appeared the most negatively impacted. Social media use was high, with 96% reporting use at least once a day, and two-thirds reporting an increase in social media use since the start of the pandemic. One-third had used social media to seek support for suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and half had used it to support another person. This study adds to a growing literature suggesting social media can provide an opportunity to support young people experiencing psychological distress and suicide risk. Uniquely, this study points to the utility of using social media for this purpose during high-risk periods such as pandemics, where access to face-to-face support may be limited. To promote the quality and safety of support provided on social media, resources for help-seekers and help-givers should be developed and disseminated. Social media companies must consider the vulnerability of some users during pandemics and do what they can to promote wellbeing and safety.

Non-disclosing youth: a cross sectional study to understand why young people do not disclose suicidal thoughts to their mental health professional

BackgroundPrevalence of suicidal ideation increases rapidly in adolescence, and many choose not to seek help and disclose their ideation. Young people who do disclose suicidal ideation, prefer to do so with peers and family compared to mental health professionals, who are best placed to provide evidence-based treatment. This study aimed to identify key factors associated with young people’s decision to, or not to disclose suicidal thoughts to their mental health practitioner.MethodsA community-based sample of young Australians (16 - 25 years), who had experienced suicidal ideation and engaged with a mental health professional, completed an online questionnaire (N=513) which assessed demographic characteristics, severity of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide attempts, exposure to suicide loss, personal suicide stigma, prioritisation of mental health issues, and therapeutic alliance. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with disclosure.ResultsThough the full sample had engaged in therapy, 39% had never disclosed suicidal ideation to their clinician. Those who had disclosed were more likely to report greater therapeutic alliance (OR=1.04, 95% CI=1.02–1.06), personal suicide stigma (OR=1.04, 95% CI=1.01–1.06), prioritisation of suicidal ideation (OR=.24, 95% CI=0.14-0.42), and lifetime history of suicide attempt (OR=.32, 95% CI=0.18-0.57). The most common reason for not disclosing was concern that it would not remain confidential.ConclusionThese findings provide new insights into why young people may not seek help by disclosing suicidal ideation, despite having access to a mental health professional, and establish evidence to inform practice decisions and the development of prevention strategies to support young people for suicide.

Gender and Ethnic Differences in Morbidity and Coronary Revascularisation Rates Amongst Young Australians in Far North Queensland

We compared the rates of comorbidities and coronary revascularisation amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI) and non-ATSI patients at Cairns Base Hospital where there is a large ATSI population and where cardiac catheterisation facilities are readily available.

‘I didn’t want to visit a doctor unless it was extremely necessary’: perspectives on delaying access to sexual and reproductive health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia from an online survey.

Australians were subject to a series of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions throughout 2020. Although accessing medical care was allowable, concerns were raised that people were avoiding healthcare services. We explored young Australians' reasons for delaying seeking sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care during the pandemic, using data from two cross-sectional surveys. The surveys included a question asking whether respondents had delayed accessing care during the pandemic. Free-text responses from young Australians (aged 18-29 years) were analysed using conventional content analysis. In all, 1058 under-30s completed a survey, with 262 (24.8%) reporting they had delayed seeking SRH care. Of these, 228 (87.0%) respondents provided a free-text comment. Participants who commented were predominantly female (86.4%) and had a median age of 23 years (interquartile range 20-26 years). Most commonly, respondents delayed testing for sexually transmissible infections, cervical cancer screening, and contraceptive care. Some delayed accessing care despite experiencing symptoms. Participants avoided seeking care due to concerns about contracting COVID-19, uncertainty about accessing care during restrictions and anxiety relating to accessing SRH care. Although some reported a reduced need for SRH care, others required but did not access care. Young people should be reassured that SRH issues are a valid reason to access services, especially when experiencing symptoms.

A National Survey of Children’s Experiences of Parental Separation and Support Needs in Australia

We used a mixed-methods online survey to recruit 616 young Australians whose parents had separated, to understand their experiences and how to better support them throughout the separation process. Persistent themes included conflict, lack of communication and agency, mental health concerns, and feelings of confusion, frustration, loss, and grief. Some suggested it would have been useful to talk about reasons for the separation, their rights, opinions and feelings, with some indicating the separation process affected their ongoing mental health and relationships. There was a general preference for face-to-face counseling, closely followed by online counseling and online peer-to-peer support, indicating that a “one size fits all” approach is not suitable for young people. Young people should be offered services early in the separation process that can be extended in content to other issues such as new partners, school life and mental health, and continued beyond the timeframe of the separation process.

Sociality, resilience and agency: how did young Australians experience online learning during Covid-19?

In 2020 when schooling was abruptly reconfigured by the pandemic, young people were required to demonstrate new capabilities to manage their learning and their wellbeing. This paper reports on the feelings, thoughts and experiences of eight Year 9 and 10 students in NSW and Victoria about the initial period of online learning in Australian schools that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic. Beyond dominant narratives of vulnerability and losses in learning, our participants offered counternarratives that stressed their capacities to rise and meet the times. We trace three central themes on how they: found moments of agency that increased their confidence, reconfigured resilience as a socially responsible set of practices, deployed sociality as a resource for the benefit of themselves and others. The pandemic opened up conversations with young people about where and how learning takes place and how schools might adapt and respond to young people’s growing sense of urgency about the future of schooling.

Considering ecological determinants of youth mental health in the era of COVID-19 and the Anthropocene: A call to action from young public health professionals.

In 2019, young Australians reported that two of their top concerns were ‘climate change and the environment’ and ‘mental health’. The events of 2020/2021, such as the ongoing climate emergency, the Australian bushfires, and the COVID‐19 pandemic, reflect the human‐induced environmental issues young people are most worried about and have also exacerbated the mental health issues which they already reported to be at a crisis point back in 2019. Given experiences of mental illness in adolescence are associated with poorer mental health across the lifespan, it is becoming increasingly important to address ecological determinants of youth mental health in the Anthropocene. However, despite the inclusion of ecological determinants of health in seminal health promotion frameworks, health promotion has been described as ‘ecologically blind’, emphasising social determinants of health at the expense of ecological determinants of health. A socio‐ecological model, which equally considers upstream social and ecological factors, should be applied to youth mental health issues. Using the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, we demonstrate how the ecological determinants of health may be incorporated into health promotion approaches targeting youth mental health. We also call for the health promotion sector to consider a number of actions to work towards achieving a transition to ecological determinants of health being at the forefront of health promotion activities. This commentary, written by young public health professionals, hopes to build on the momentum garnered by youth activists around the world and bring attention to the importance of ecological determinants of health for youth mental health promotion in the era of COVID‐19 and the Anthropocene.

What social media platforms can and should do to build young Asian Australians’ resilience against online racism

What social media platforms can and should do to build young Asian Australians’ resilience against online racism