Citation

Young M, Richards C, Gunning M. Adv. Sch. Ment. Health Promot. 2012; 5(4): 277-289.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Informa-Taylor and Francis)

DOI

10.1080/1754730X.2012.736792

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Young people are less likely to seek help for mental health difficulties. Good quality mental health information from reliable sources may help overcome barriers to help seeking in young people and improve awareness of the common symptoms related to mental health problems. With an adolescent population in mind, websites for depression and for stress and anxiety were developed for young people and those caring for them by one of the authors. The current evaluation sought to assess the use of, and perceived satisfaction with, each of these mental health websites. Data from the website domains were considered in relation to unique visits, country of origin and source of referral. Qualitative website user feedback was gained from evaluation questionnaires. Findings showed that website visits for both resources have increased year-on-year and feedback from the evaluation revealed that the resource information was perceived to be trustworthy, reliable and informative. The feedback indicated that the resource was perceived to be accessible and informative for adolescents. Future developments to reduce the barriers for accessing mental health are discussed.