Piloting Google+ for young Australian mental health support. Dr Andrew Campbell, Faculty of Health Sciences
1. Piloting Google+
for Young Australian Mental Health Support
In Collaboration with: The UNSW BlackDog Institute & Kids Help Line
Dr Andrew Campbell
Discipline of Behavioural & Social Sciences in Health
FACULTY OF
HEALTH SCIENCES
2. Piloting Google+
for Young Australian Mental Health Support
The Problem
âș 1 in 3 Young Australianâs experience anxiety or
depression between ages of 12-25
(Rickwood, et.al, 2005; McGorry, et.al, 2007)
âș Engaging them in psycho-education and/or early
treatment for the symptoms they experience has
been key to preventing chronic mood and affective
disorders across the lifespan (Scott, et.al, 2009)
âș The problems we now need to address are 3 fold:
âș 1. Keeping Young Australians engaged in mental
health wellbeing maintenance beyond initial
psycho-education and/or treatment.
âș 2. Offering uncomplicated and inviting âcheck upâ
support at any age in their development
âș 3. Empowering through peer groups about
maintaining mental health âprevention and fitnessâ not just from authority figures!
Dr Andrew Campbell andrew.campbell@sydney.edu.au
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3. Piloting Google+
for Young Australian Mental Health Support
The Approach
1. Develop a Google+ Community run
by Kids Help Line (KHL)
Psychologists 24/7
2. Recruit (13-25yrs) volunteer âwaitlistâ participants from KHL Web
Counselling service (one-on-one
counselling) to join specific
community groups containing young
people and 1 x facilitator (e.g.
depression peer group or anxiety
peer group n= 20 x 2) N= 40
3. Over 3 month period (August â Oct
2014) compare engagement/support
preference with specific peer
community group(s) with only online
web counselling (one-on-one)
engagement.
Dr Andrew Campbell andrew.campbell@sydney.edu.au
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4. Piloting Google+
for Young Australian Mental Health Support
Hypotheses
âș Ha1: Google+ Community Peer Group
(G+CPG) for depression/anxiety will
encourage greater returns to Kids Help
Line over 3 month period than to webcounselling services alone.
âș Ha2: Combined Web-Counselling (one-onone) counselling with CPG for
depression/anxiety will prove more
effective in relieving symptoms than webcounselling services alone.
âș Measures
DASS 21
Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE)
Self-Report Scale of Psychological
Wellbeing (TBD)
Dr Andrew Campbell andrew.campbell@sydney.edu.au
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5. Piloting Google+
for Young Australian Mental Health Support
Collaboration and Future Plans
1. Complete Data Collection and write up
for Presentation and Publication in
2014 early-2015
2. Utilise Data for 2015 NH&MRC grant
to develop a KHL operated and tested
version of Google+ Community Peer
Group for longitudinal evaluation RCT.
3. Publish findings as best practice for
continuing e-Mental health support and
treatment for online services engaging
young people in mental health
support/treatment and or management
of chronic mood/affective disorders.
Dr Andrew Campbell andrew.campbell@sydney.edu.au
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6. BURNING QUESTIONS!
1. Why not use Facebook?
2. What about ensuring user privacy?
3. Will parents know?
4. How do you help someone acting strangely in a online group setting?
5. What if the technology changes during the study?
6. Is it safe from online predators and cyber-bullies?
7. Is this sustainable both technically and financially?
Dr Andrew Campbell andrew.campbell@sydney.edu.au