25 Jun 2024
Dear parents/carers
Our school is participating in the Black Dog Institute’s Future Proofing Study, the largest and most comprehensive investigation of adolescent mental health in Australia. When our current Year 11 students were in Year 8, families and students could choose to opt into the study or not.
Researchers from the Black Dog Institute now visit our school every year to facilitate these enrolled students completing an anonymous online survey about all aspects of their mental health and well-being. This information is then analysed with the data from the other thousands of participants, and the analysis is provided to key decision makers to shape policy and service provision.
In 2023, the researchers asked participants about their screen use and linked this input with participants’ mental health input. The research team then prepared a webinar for parents documenting their findings about teens, screens and mental health. This webinar also includes options for how parents can support their children navigate the digital world positively and safely.
Topics included in the webinar:
(1) Background to the Future Proofing Study (at 3:13 mins)
(2) How teens are using screens (at 4:10 mins)
(3) The association between teen screen use and mental health (at 6:28 mins)
(4) What families can do to support children to navigate the digital world (at 18:00 mins)
Please click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJgUzSmNe_Q
to watch this accessible and informative webinar on YouTube.
The researchers have also created a PDF of the webinar slides and content you can access in the link below titled future proofing study (pdf).
Further information is available on www.futureproofing.org.au or you can email futureproofing@blackdog.org.au
As always, we are committed to working with you to find the best ways to nurture the mental fitness of our young people.
Glenn Grimmond - Deputy Principal