Online toolbox

A child or young person's wellbeing can change moment to moment, day to day, year to year, and can be influenced by what’s happening in a specific moment and the actions they take.

You can provide valuable information and guidance to help children and young people make the most of the wide range of online apps and resources available. These tools are designed to help young people learn about positive mental health and wellbeing, put these concepts and skills into practice, and offer them with support when they, or their peers, are struggling.

In general, these tools are most suitable for those aged 12 years and over. You should consider the appropriateness of these tools for the children and young people in your care.

What tools are available?

Information

Young people are used to getting information from the internet about things that matter to them. When it comes to mental health and wellbeing, they may need some guidance to find the most-appropriate resources, which could include:

• information and fact sheets on topics that can be tricky to ask adults about
• online courses to manage challenges such as anxiety or depression
• tips to improve or manage relationships.

Useful resources and apps include:

Bullying. No Way!
Tailored online information for students about bullying.

headspace
Tailored information for 12 to 25-year-olds relating to general mental health, physical health, work and study, and drugs and alcohol.

Office of the eSafety Commissioner
A suit of classroom resources providing primary and secondary students with dedicated content to help empower them to safely explore the online world.

ReachOut
Practical support, tools and tips to help young people get through anything from everyday questions through to tough times.

Student Wellbeing Hub
Support for Australian schools to promote student wellbeing, safety and positive relationships. The Hub offers resources for educators, parents and students, including professional learning, advice, teaching resources and information on a range of mental health and wellbeing topics. 

The BRAVE program
Online program supporting young people who are experiencing anxiety, as well as their families.

Practice

Young people can support themselves getting through some of the tough times in adolescence by learning and practising useful skills and habits. There’s a wide range of apps out there that can help build these positive approaches by helping young people to:

• develop resilience and coping skills
• track and manage their mood and thoughts
• improve their learning and communication skills
• track physical health, including sleep, movement and nutrition.

Useful resources and apps include:

Beyond Now
A safety plan app that can be accessed and edited at any time. A young person can also email it to trusted friends, family or their health professional, so they can offer support when their experiencing suicidal thoughts or heading towards a suicidal crisis. 

Breakup Shakeup
An app that provides ideas for fun, easy things to do to help young people cope after a breakup.

Digital Dog
A research group within the Black Dog Institute working to use technology to solve common mental health issues. The team develops and tests a suite of online mobile apps, websites and games to help lower depression, lower suicide risk, reduce stress and promote wellbeing.

ReachOut
Professionally-reviewed mobile apps and tools to help them look after their health and wellbeing.

MoodGYM
An online program that helps young people and adults learn about cognitive behaviour therapy skills for preventing and coping with depression.

Smiling Mind
A modern meditation for young people. It's a unique web and app-based program, designed to help bring balance to young lives.

Communication

Online communication tools, such as blogs, forums and social media can build powerful protective factors for young people. Skills and knowledge using the internet to communicate are important in today’s world and can help young people to:

• connect with like minded peers and communities
• seek and access professional and peer support
• have a way to say what they're thinking and have their voice be heard
• organise and plan face-to-face communication.

Useful resources and apps include:

Beyond Blue online forums
An online community open to anyone residing in Australia with forums on topics related to mental health and wellbeing.

eheadspace
Online and telephone support for young people aged 12-25 years and their families.

Q Life
Australia’s first nationally-oriented counselling and referral service for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex (LGBTI) provides early intervention, peer-supported telephone and web-based services to people of all ages across the full breadth of people’s bodies, genders, relationships, sexualities and lived experiences.

ReachOut Forums
Moderated peer-support community for 14 to 25-year-olds on mental health and wellbeing topics.

Yarn Safe
Safe space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teens to talk about mental health and social and emotional wellbeing.