Parents’ mental health literacy, preferred school counsellor roles, and intention to follow up referrals

Monica Bignold, Donnah Anderson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Many mental illnesses have onset during adolescence, and if untreated may have long-term negative outcomes. Parents and school counsellors can assist adolescents by monitoring for mental illness and facilitating appropriate support. The present study investigated parents’ mental health literacy (MHL), preferred views of school counsellor roles, and intention to follow up referrals. Eighty-seven Australian parents of current secondary school students were recruited to an online cross-sectional survey via convenience sampling. Results showed that, on average, parents had good MHL, moderately endorsed school counsellor roles, and were committed to following up referrals. Higher MHL, but not preferred school counsellor roles, predicted intention to follow up referrals to general practitioners and specialised mental health services. Findings support targeted psychoeducational intervention for parents regarding MHL and the role of the school counsellor and directions for future research are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)90-101
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools
Volume33
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2023

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