Psychological distress in secondary school students and action taken
Data table
View data tableNote
Estimates based on 5596 respondents who reported high psychological distress. Respondents chose from the following categories, 'talked to: no-one; family; friend/s; teachers or school counsellors; doctors or other health professionals', and from 'talking was found to be: not at all helpful; somewhat helpful; quite helpful; very helpful'. Respondents could choose more than one answer, so the total may be more than 100%.
Source
NSW School Students Health Behaviours Survey, 2005 (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health.
Commentary
These are the latest data available. The page will be updated when the new data becomes available.
Psychological distress refers to a range of feelings experienced by people who may have identifiable mental health problems such as anxiety or mood disorders, or who may be highly stressed for situational reasons.
High psychological distress was reported by 16.6% of students in the NSW School Students Health Behaviours Survey in 2005. Secondary school students who experience distressing problems at a level they describe as 'almost more than I can take' are, by their own account, near the end of their own coping resources. They are likely to be at greater risk of mental ill-health if there is no relief from this experience either at home or at school.
Talking about problems may help to relieve psychological distress, or may lead to contact with services that can assist the young person. However, 37.5% of students experiencing high psychological distress talked to no-one. Of those who reported high psychological distress and did talk to someone, more than a half (55%) found this quite or very helpful. Consistently, however, more than one third of students reported talking to no-one when experiencing feelings of depression (37.8%), being nervous and under pressure (37.9%) or being in trouble because of behaviour (43.9%). This is a particularly vulnerable group of young people.
One of the aims of the NSW School-Link initiative (NSW Health, 2003) is to improve access to services such as school counsellors and mental health services so that students with mental health problems receive help as early as possible, including programs which prevent the development of mental health problems.
For more information
NSW Department of Health. The health behaviours of secondary school students in New South Wales 2002. N S W Public Health Bull 2004; 15(S-2).
NSW Department of Health. NSW School link initiative. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2003. Available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/s/pdf/well_school-link.pdf.
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This work is copyright NSW Department of Health, 2006. It may be reproduced in whole or in part, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. Commercial usage or sale is prohibited.Suggested citation
Population Health Division. The health of the people of New South Wales - Report of the Chief Health Officer. Sydney: NSW Department of Health. Available at: www.health.nsw.gov.au/publichealth/chorep/. Accessed (insert date of access).Produced by
Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health. Last updated on 26 June 2009
