Australian adolescents’ beliefs and help-seeking intentions towards peers experiencing symptoms of depression and alcohol misuse

Abstract

Background: Many young people are reluctant to seek professional help for mental health problems, preferring to rely on their friends for support. It is therefore important to ensure that adolescents can identify signs of psychological distress in their peers, talk to them about these, and help them access appropriate services when necessary. The current study examined adolescents’ ability to recognise symptoms of depression and alcohol misuse, perceived barriers to helpseeking, and their intentions to encourage a peer to seek help from a range of informal and formal help sources. Method: The current study used baseline data from a randomised controlled trial of a school-based intervention ..