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2010 Mental Health Award –Best Program for Mental Health Promotion in NSW. Gordian Fulde (Director of Emergency Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital. St Vincent’s treats 100 alcohol related admissions for young women every weekend in Sydney.
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2010 Mental Health Award –Best Program for Mental Health Promotion in NSW
Gordian Fulde (Director of Emergency Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital • St Vincent’s treats 100 alcohol related admissions for young women every weekend in Sydney. • “These days when a girl goes out and gets trashed and vomits and ends up in emergency, you are guaranteed to see their badge of honour about the event on Facebook the next day.” • “15 to 18 year olds have the highest rate of hospital admissions for drunkenness of any age group.” • “By the age of 18, one in three teens (33%) are drinking at a high-risk level, compared to one in ten (10%) 20 years ago.
Body Image • Associate Professor Jennifer O’Dea, a body image expert at University of Sydney, has researched the cult-like pro-ana movement and its effect on young people. • Dr O’Dea surveyed 9000 young people across the country and found 42 per cent of high school girls were dieting and 27 per cent thought they were too fat.
Melinda Tankard Reist • I mourn for the young women of today. • Young women believe they will attract success and attention through sexual allure.(Sex and the City has a cult following 13 to 17 y/o girls) • Our society is rampant with the pornification and sexualisation of women at younger and younger ages.
Risk taking behaviour • The University of NSW conducted a recent survey of young women who were sexually active under the age of 17. • One third of these young women indicated that they had been sexually assaulted or had unwanted sex during an intoxicated episode. • Nina Funnell UNSW
The Idea for the Young Women’s Program… • Concerning statistics… NSW Department of Health 2010 indicated: • A fourfold increase in the rate of intentional self harm by females age 15-24 from 1989-2009 (NSW Department of Health 2010).
Mission Australia Study According to the Mission Australia National Survey of Young Australians 2010, these issues are indeed of personal concern to young people age 11-24 (50,240 respondents, 53.9% female). Out of the 15 issues to choose from, body image was the top ranked issue with over 31% of respondents indicating that it was a major concern. Bullying/emotional abuse was an issue of concern for 23% of respondents, alcohol 22%, drugs 20.5%, and sexuality (relationships, health, and identity) 10.9%.
The Birth of the Young Women’s Program… • As a result of the worrying statistics, the team at KYDS Counselling Service identified a number of specific issues impacting on young women that would benefit from an early intervention, school based approach. • The Young Women’s Program was initially a joint initiative of KYDS Counselling Service and Lane Cove Council Youth Services.
The Objectives of the Young Women’s Program… • The two main objectives of the Young Women’s Program: • Increase young women’s resilience. • Provide them with practical coping skills for making more positive decisions/choices about life. • The overall therapeutic objective of the program was to provide a warm and caring environment in which the young women could be open, and share their thoughts, opinions, and experiences. • The next few slides will illustrate how these objectives are met through the content and delivery of the Young Women’s Program.
Application of the Young Women’s Program: Content • The content of the Young Women’s Program is divided into four following topics: • Drug and Alcohol issues such as binge drinking, risky drug taking, and drink spiking. • Body Image and Self Esteem issues such as preoccupation with weight, sexual objectification, risky dieting, and low self esteem. • Bullying and Peer Pressure issues such as cyber bullying, social exclusion, and the impact of bullying on mental health. • Sexual Health and Relationships issues such as pressures to engage in sexual behaviour, risky sexual behaviour, date rape, and domestic violence.
Application of the Young Women’s Program: Delivery • Who is involved? - Trained facilitators run the program. • How long is the program? • The program is run over 5 consecutive weeks , giving one week for each topic and including an initial introductory session. • Each session per week is run for 1.5 hours (consecutively). • In-school delivery: • The girls are divided into groups (max. 20 per group) by the school. • Each group of girls are allocated a facilitator who will be with them for all five session. • Access to a large space (e.g., Hall) with projector/TV to run sessions in.
Application of the Young Women’s Program: Getting the Best Results • In our experience in applying the Young Women’s Program in previous schools we have found the best results when… • The program is run in 5 consecutive weeks, with each session running 1.5 hours. • Each facilitator has a maximum of 20 girls in their group. • Access to a large space (e.g., Hall) with projector/TV to run sessions in. • Only the girls and the facilitators will be present during the running of the program (to optimise trust and security). • Continual access to a point-of-contact for administration and technical issues.
Evaluation, Feedback and Outcomes from Previous School Programs • Schools already involved: • Chatswood • St Ives High • Killara High • Ku-Ring-Gai Creative Arts High • Pymble Ladies College • Hunters Hill High School
