LEARN, LOVE, LAUGH

RATIONALE



According to the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007), 14% of young people aged 4-17 years old have a mental health or behavioural problem. Out of these, one out of every four young person have received professional health care. When it comes to the health and wellbeing of our children, it is scary to think that a large percentage of children and adolescents in Australia not only struggle with a mental illness but also have not received the professional help they need.

 

Mental health and wellbeing is vital for supporting learning and life. Being mentally healthy allows children and adolescents to learn better, form healthy and strong relationships and better equips them with the tools to face life challenges (Payton, et al. 2000).

 

For girls, mental health issues have become increasingly prominent with 22.3% of females experiencing a mental disorder compared to 17.6% of males (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007). Particularly so during the pre-adolescent and adolescent period when girls reach puberty and experience physical and emotional changes to their bodies. However, a report by Steingraber (2007) has found that the average age of puberty in girls has been declining over the past few decades. As a result, girls are now becoming more likely to experience negative physical and mental health consequences such as psychopathologies like depression and anxiety, conduct disorders and delinquency, high-risk behaviours in later adolescence like smoking, drinking, drugs, crime and unprotected sex, as well as lower academic education. This provides more reason why girls need to become aware of the biological, emotional and consequent social changes that occur during this period at an earlier age by enhancing protective factors that help girls avoid multiple behaviours that place them at risk for adverse health and educational outcomes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009).