Academics, HSC exams, assessments — you name it. They all come with their fair share of unwanted stress and anxiety. So what do you do if you need to to access mental health support services?
In this article, we’ve listed 5 of the best organisations to reach out to for help or resources if you’re not feeling okay.
Let’s get started!
Lifeline
Beyond Blue
Reachout Australia
headspace
Kids Helpline
Lifeline
Lifeline is one of the fastest ways to receive support if you are feeling overwhelmed, have difficulty coping with your situation or staying safe.
Who are they?
Lifeline Australia is a national charity, manned by volunteer crisis supporters who provide 24 hour crisis and suicide prevention support. They also have services providing online support and some centres offer group support and face-to-face counselling.
Lifeline’s crisis volunteers are real people who provide a non-judgemental ear to any of the problems you want to talk about. You will have a safe space to talk about any of your worries, problems or concerns and the crisis supporter will work with you to explore some support options.
How do I access support?
Access to Lifeline support can be gained by:
- Phone [13 11 14] — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Text [0477 13 11 14] — available nightly
- Online chat — available nightly
Image sourced from Lifeline
Beyond Blue
Beyond Blue is an Australian mental health organisation with support programs for depression, anxiety and other related mental health issues.
Who are they?
Beyond Blue is one of the most well-known mental health organisations in Australia, supporting individuals suffering from anxiety and depression. The organisation provides phone, online chat and email support as well as resources on wellbeing, facts on anxiety and depression as well as treatments and support options as well as online forums.
Beyond Blue provides information and resources for mental health support across all demographics. They have specific support for young people to access mental health resources, mental health programs and external links to help you connect with mental health professionals.
How do I access these resources?
Access to Beyond Blue can be gained by:
- Phone [1300 22 4636] — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Online chat — 1am-12pm, 7 days a week
- Online forums — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Other mental health resources can be accessed via the “Get Support”, “The Facts” or the “Who Does it Affect” drop-down menus.
Reachout Australia
Reachout Australia is an internet service directed to young people seeking information, support and resources about mental health issues.
Who are they?
Reachout.com was first launched in 1998 as an initiative to provide an online means of enabling access to mental health resources by young people. Since then, their organisation has expanded their tools and services to provide additional self-help articles, apps, peer support programs, referral tools and mental health strategies.
How do I access support?
Access to Reachout Australia can be gained by:
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- Visiting their website via this link or simply by searching “ReachOut Australia” on your search engine
If you’re specifically looking for support with HSC, academic or study stress, simply navigate to the “Topics” drop-down menu and look for “Study, work and money”.
headspace
headspace is an Australian non-profit organisation created by the Australian government in 2006 as part of the Youth Mental Health Initiative Program.
Who are they?
headspace is the National Youth Mental Health Foundation which provides mental health services and study support to teenagers and young adults. The headspace website provides multiple articles and strategies regarding work and study stress as well as interactive activities.
headspace also runs 100+ centres across Australia which serve as a “one-stop shop for young people who need help with mental health, physical health […] and study support.”
How do I access these resources?
Access to headspace can be gained by:
- Visiting their website via this link or simply searching “headspace Australia” in your search engine
If you’re specifically looking for support with HSC, academic or study stress, simply navigate to the “Information & Support” drop-down menu and look for “Health and Wellbeing”, “Mental Health” or “Work and Study”.
Kids Helpline
Kids Helpline is an Australian telephone and online counselling service directed towards young people between 5 and 25 who are looking for practical advice and emotional and mental support.
Who are they?
Kids Helpline run confidential online and telephone counselling services, manned by qualified counsellors to protect and support vulnerable young people. In addition to their telephone, email and web chat services, Kids Helpline also have a wide array of self-help articles designed to guide you and get you back on track.
Their articles cover topics like anxiety and depression, their causes, symptoms and some great management strategies to help you cope.
How do I access these resources?
Access to Kids Helpline can be gained by:
- Phone [1800 55 1800] — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Webchat — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Self-help articles and other mental health resources can be accessed by selecting the appropriate age group on the homepage of Kids Helpline.
Other Organisations
Your School
If your worries are school, exam or HSC related, the best people to seek help from are the teachers or counsellors at your school.
Who are they?
Your school is the educational institution in which you are enrolled.
Speak to a teacher you are familiar or comfortable with. They will be able to give you some guidance and support when you need it the most. Bear in mind that most teachers will feel out of their depth if you rely on them solely as your confidant.
In this situation, you should approach your school counsellor. All NSW school counsellors have qualifications in psychology and school counselling. Your school counsellor will be able to provide you with more support, specific to your issues.
How do I access support?
Access to the school counselling service can be gained by:
- Self-referral from students
- Referral from parents/carers
- Referral through teachers or the school learning & support team
If you are still unsure about how to access support at school, speak directly to a teacher or staff at your school.
Remember that no matter what you’re going through, you are not alone and there are places you can seek support from.
Has the HSC got you feeling stressed? Read our 5 tips to tackling stress during the HSC here.
Alex Gao is an Art of Smart mentor and blogger who is passionate about teaching students the skills and know-how of high school. Alex has a great interest in the field of Biology, avidly blogging about the topic whilst also aspiring to become a Biomedical Engineer. Alex graduated in 2018 and was listed on the Distinguished Achievers list for Advanced English, Extension 1 English and Biology.
