The objective of this article is to outline factors for consideration in the successful engagement of adolescents in therapy. Adolescents face a number of barriers that can affect their ability to successfully engage with mental health clinicians (Booth, et al., 2004). Those working with this population should have a keen awareness of these barriers and their impact. As a first step, preparation for the initial interview with an adolescent is vital. Careful thought should be given to those involved in the assessment process and the manner of their involvement, giving the adolescent as much input as possible. The importance of an honest and respectful attitude should not be underestimated.

Research indicates that an important determinant of mental health is the degree to which someone feels connected to his or her environment. For young people, how they feel about ‘fitting in’ at school, in terms of peers, staff and the curriculum, is an important factor in their wellbeing. An effective whole school mental health promotion approach will therefore involve the creation of a school environment that encourages a sense of belonging and connection for its students. While the theory behind student connection to school has received a significant level of attention in the education, health and crime prevention literature, not so much is known about how school staff understand the process of ‘students connecting to school’ and what they do to enable it. Even less is reported about the experiences and views of students with high mental health support needs themselves on the issue (see Unheard Voices, Holdsworth & Blanchard, 2005). Therefore, the following study was conducted to seek understanding of the perspectives of school staff about how students connect to school and the implications for enabling the connection of students with high mental health support needs. Qualitative analysis of interviews revealed the emergence of a number of themes that align with previous research on connection to school. This study formed part of the MindMatters Plus initiative, a combined health and education best practice approach to improving the mental health outcomes of secondary school students with high support needs. The findings of this study have practical implications for school staff who are looking for ways to further enable student connection to school. They also add a complementary perspective to those of students as extrapolated in Holdsworth and Blanchard (2005).

The objective of this article is to describe the practical aspects involved in adapting cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) to an adolescent population in Australia. Some effective ways to use CBT with adolescents include preparing them for CBT by providing a thorough cognitive–behavioural formulation, describing the cognitive–behavioural approach to therapy in an adolescent-friendly manner, and adapting language and treatment conditions to suit young people's needs.

We know that students' positive engagement with school is closely linked to their positive mental health. In particular, a positive engagement assists students to develop the human connections and resilience that reduces the risk of developing later mental health problems. What do students themselves say about what assists them to engage successfully with school? In particular, what is known of the views of students with high support needs in the area of mental health? The MindMatters Plus Project commissioned a review of existing studies of students' perspectives about engagement. This overview summarises the literature that typifies the three overlapping areas of school engagement, student voice and students with high support needs in the area of mental health, drawing on an extensive annotated bibliography of sources (available online at mmplus.agca.com.au/studeng_unheard_voices.php?x=13). The students about whom MindMatters Plus has a particular concern — those who are at greater risk of having high support needs in the area of mental health — are often less likely to voice their opinion and concerns to adults. As a consequence, less is known about what they are saying about factors that engage them with school — theirs are frequently ‘unheard voices’.

Recently the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) conducted a nationwide survey on programs that exhibit best practice in addressing student behaviour issues (de Jong, 2004). Seven themes related to the characteristics of best practice were identified in this survey. Alternative education programs (AEPs) was one of them. Although contentious in the context of inclusive education, this survey indicated that, provided they are embedded in best practice, AEPs are still considered to be a creditable means of meeting the needs of adolescent students with challenging behaviour in most Australian education jurisdictions. This being so, what constitutes best practice in the construction and delivery of an AEP? This is the main focus of our article. We briefly define AEPs, submit a continuum of types of AEPs, consider the cases against and in favour of AEPs, and conclude by presenting the characteristics of quality AEPs according to three categories, namely: (1) organisation and partnerships, (2) pastoral care and ethos, and (3) curriculum and pedagogy.

There have been some challenges to the reliance upon data from randomised controlled clinical trials when identifying ‘evidence-based’ psychotherapy treatments. Similarly, data show that use of treatment manuals does not result in uniform and beneficial outcomes, that some evidence-based treatments are little better than non-specific counselling and that the search for those therapies or components that are effective has been largely fruitless. In an attempt to extend the debate about evidence-based treatments and drawing upon those aspects of cognitive and behavioural therapies that have been shown to be effective in most settings, this article describes valued outcomes analysis and therapy as a means of assisting clients to understand their own behaviour as (sometimes unwanted) adaptations to environmental demands and then to learn alternative ways of achieving the goals they pursue. A case illustration is provided.

Australia's ‘black’ history has had and continues to have a pervasive and adverse impact on Indigenous Australians. In fact, Indigenous Australians are the most disadvantaged Australians based on all socioeconomic indicators that serve to drive life potential. There is also a dearth of scholarly research available, particularly in relation to Indigenous children in the schooling sector and mental health. However, recent research with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations offers new, potentially potent, solutions. In this article we provide (a) a rationale for Indigenous mental health being a significant social issue of our time, (b) a summary of some recent research findings pertaining to mental health of young Indigenous Australians, (c) outline why a positive psychology approach offers a new solution for intervention with specific reference to the importance of the self-concept construct for Indigenous students, and (d) call upon counsellors, practitioners, and policy makers to implement and evaluate the latter approach.

A number of critical issues concerning the assessment of children with intellectual disabilities, including definitional problems, psychometric factors, and practical difficulties, are raised in this article. It is suggested that school counsellors and psychologists should consider these issues when assessing children with probable or known intellectual disabilities, particularly when using IQ tests. The use of adaptive scales as an additional means of defining and measuring intellectual disability is also examined. Although no ideal means of formally assessing children with intellectual disabilities is put forward, a range of concerns is explored and some suggestions for appropriate additions and caveats to present practice are proposed.

This article reports on part of a commissioned research study into students with severe challenging behaviour in primary schools serviced by the Catholic Education Office (Parramatta Diocese) in western Sydney. The focus of the study was on the prevalence of severe challenging behaviour and the nature of presenting behaviour. Questionnaires were directed to school staff and information was obtained from 41 of the 53 primary schools in the diocese. Using very conservative criteria, the estimate of numbers of students with severe challenging behaviour was approximately 1 per school. Students were typically male and were academically below average. The most frequently reported challenging behaviour (e.g., calling out, out of seat) was inherently minor in nature for the most part, but at high frequency this could be extremely disruptive to the operation of a classroom. More serious behaviours, such as physical aggression to other school students and staff, were also reported at concerning frequency, noting that such behaviours place staff and other students at risk. The present study adds to the limited Australian data describing students in regular schools with challenging behaviour by providing specific information on the classroom frequency of such behaviour and the academic performance of students.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems affecting children and adolescents. Current estimates indicate that 1 in 5 children or 4 to 6 students within a classroom of 30 children are at risk for developing an anxiety disorder (Boyd, Kostanski, Gullone, Ollendick, & Shek, 2000). Of these children, many will not receive clinical intervention. The school environment is the optimal setting to address this issue and to minimise the risk and prevent the development of anxiety disorders. This article examines the importance of early intervention and prevention within the school setting through an examination of the risk and protective factors of anxiety and the comparability of three approaches to prevention in schools — selective, indicated, and universal approaches. All three prevention approaches are discussed along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. The applicability of the universal approach to prevention is discussed in relation to the FRIENDS for Life (FRIENDS) program (Barrett, 2004, 2005) and its implementation within schools. The FRIENDS program is an evidence-based, cognitive–behavioural anxiety program for children and youth. It is the only evidence-based program endorsed by the World Health Organization as an effective program for the prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression in children and youth.

The outcomes of a new universal program aimed at preventing depressive symptoms and disorders in 8- to 9-year-old children are presented. The Positive Thinking Program is a mental health promotion program based on cognitive and behavioural strategies. It is designed to meet the developmental needs of children in the middle primary school Years 4 and 5. Four state primary schools were randomly assigned to receive the program implemented by psychologists or to a control condition involving their regular Health Education curriculum. Seventy-two children participated in the intervention condition and 48 children in the control condition. Children completed measures of depressive and anxiety symptomatology, depressive disorders, and attribution style. The intervention was associated with reductions in depressive symptoms and more positive attributions at post-intervention. Compared to the control group, there was a lower prevalence of depressive disorders at posttest and fewer intervention group children developed a depressive disorder at a 9-month follow-up.

School psychologists have a unique and multifaceted role within schools and must work with a variety of stakeholders. Therefore, it is important to explore and understand the perspectives of other educational professionals regarding the roles of school psychologists. This study examined the perspectives of principals (N = 21), teachers (N = 86), and school psychologists (N = 81) regarding what they believe should be the role of school psychologists. Participants were working in Catholic, Independent, and Government primary and secondary schools across Victoria, Australia. Results revealed both similarities and differences between the three groups regarding perspectives about school psychologists' role. For instance, the three groups shared similar perspectives that school psychologists should: (a) conduct research on issues relevant to the school, (b) be up-to-date on relevant research, (c) conduct psychological assessments, (d) provide counselling to students, (e) organise group programs for students, (f) organise workshops and provide information to teachers on issues of students' welfare and (g) inform primary students' parents of their child's participation in counselling. However, the three groups also differed in their perspectives about some aspects of the school psychologists' role. It was notable that each of the differences in perceptions between the groups had implications for potential ethical dilemmas, for instance: (a) boundaries, (b) dual relationship, (c) confidentiality/who is the client? and (d) informed consent. Implications for practice and scholarship in the field of school psychology are discussed.

The case is presented of a young boy with a rare chromosome disorder involving an interstitial deletion on chromosome 16 (16q11.2q13). Background information on chromosome disorders is presented along with a review of previous findings about the developmental consequences of chromosome 16q deletions. The case description illustrates the developmental and educational difficulties that may be associated with rare chromosome disorders and raises some important issues for guidance and counselling professionals.

This article presents a review of research literature regarding the association between marital conflict and child adjustment in intact families. Factors such as the child temperament and gender, the relational dynamics between parent/s and child, the child's developmental stage and cognitive appraisal of the conflict — including aspects of the child's physiological system, as well as parenting practices — are explored to outline contributions to the understanding of issues associated with this aspect of family process. Developmental psychopathology is offered as a useful resource in terms of a process oriented theoretical framework providing a multi-dimensional approach to exploring and explaining the impact of marital conflict on children.

This article reports on the findings of an action research enquiry examining the efficacy of group therapy as a means of facilitating cognitive–behavioural instruction for students who exhibit disruptive behaviours. A curriculum comprising the key tenets of cognitive–behaviour modification was developed and taught over a 9-week period to a group of 12 Year 7 adolescent students selected from a primary school in the Brisbane metropolitan district, Queensland, Australia. Six of the participants for the investigation were identified as ‘at-risk’ of engaging in disruptive behaviours based on extensive observations from members of the school administration team. The remaining students served as role models of prosocial behaviours throughout the intervention. Each session incorporated group discussions and physical challenges that were formulated to facilitate investigation of key concepts of cognitive– behavioural therapy. The findings that emerged from the investigation provide support for the use of group therapy for this form of intervention.

Protocols recently introduced by state education authorities require guidance and school counsellors to collaborate with other school personnel to develop Individual Education Support Plans for students in the care of the state. Of the more than 20,000 young people in care in Australia, the majority are in foster home placements due to previous maltreatment or neglect by their parents. Young people in care are a diverse, vulnerable and, at times, challenging cohort of students who typically have academic, psychological, behavioural, social, and friendship difficulties — and for some, ongoing mental health issues. This article reviews the characteristics allied with young people in care as well as procedures and strategies school counsellors can consider that facilitate more positive outcomes for these students.

Depression and externalising behaviour disorders frequently occur together in adolescence and are associated with a marked increase in symptom severity and poorer outcome. Clinical treatment research and early intervention programs for depression have not addressed the specific cognitive and interpersonal deficits associated with comorbidity. This study presents a pilot evaluation of modifications to the ACE (Adolescents Coping with Emotions) early intervention group program for depression for 17 students attending four special behaviour schools. The modified program, m-ACE, included content to address cognitive distortions, anger management and interpersonal problems. Participants reported improvements in depression symptoms and externalising behaviours. The program achieved high satisfaction ratings from participants and the drop-out rate was low. This is a promising approach for further development and targeting of early intervention programs for this complex population.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders with particularly debilitating effects due to flashbacks and hypervigilance in daily life. Treatments commonly focus upon either pharmacological or psychotherapeutic modalities, but there is often a need to merge both of these approaches to deal effectively with the somatic, as well as the psychological, symptoms of PTSD in particular clients. This case study reports the application of a combined approach, using both client-centred counselling plus biofeedback of respiratory sinus arrhythmia to train the client to control his exaggerated sympathetic nervous system responses. Results indicated that both physiological and psychological measures of PTSD in this client significantly reduced during the seven treatment sessions.

University counselling centre professionals in the United States have reported an increased complexity of presenting problems, including concerns related to depression. Whether arising from depression or another disorder, suicide does occur on American campuses and is the second leading cause of death in students of traditional college age. Drawing from mainstream and professional sources, this article provides a description of various institutional changes, ranging from policy changes to information dissemination, that are designed to prevent suicide on college campuses in the United States.