Over 40% of young people in Australia are experiencing a mental health challenge, yet accessing support has become increasingly difficult. Australia’s mental health system is complex, fragmented and under-resourced. Many young people have told us that traditional avenues of support can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate.

This greater need for mental health support coincides with shifts in how young people engage with services. AI and machine learning transform how young people interact with products, services and the world around them, fundamentally altering their expectations.

The gap between what young people expect from services and what is available creates a significant barrier to accessing mental health support. However, the mental health sector has an unprecedented opportunity to leverage emerging technologies to better meet young people’s needs.

Join ReachOut’s Product Lead, Paulus van der Kolk and Content Lead, Annie Wylie, as they discuss how ReachOut is building more meaningful and relevant service experiences for young people, through technology. ReachOut has recently launched an AI-driven tool designed to deepen the impact of our expert-written content and connect young people with more personalised support, faster.

Annie and Paulus will share insights from ReachOut’s six-month pilot program, which explored young people’s perspectives on personalisation, privacy and security and tested which AI tools and services work best for them.

Key learnings
- Research findings from ReachOut’s recent report exploring how young people use social media and technology to support their mental health and wellbeing.
- Feedback from young people on our initial prototype. Young people have found the tool to be both trustworthy and credible.
- How to balance safety and innovation when designing and delivering an AI-powered youth mental health service.

Over 40% of young people in Australia are experiencing a mental health challenge, yet accessing support has become increasingly difficult. Australia’s mental health system is complex, fragmented and under-resourced. Many young people have told us that traditional avenues of support can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate.

This greater need for mental health support coincides with shifts in how young people engage with services. AI and machine learning transform how young people interact with products, services and the world around them, fundamentally altering their expectations.

The gap between what young people expect from services and what is available creates a significant barrier to accessing mental health support. However, the mental health sector has an unprecedented opportunity to leverage emerging technologies to better meet young people’s needs.

Join ReachOut’s Product Lead, Paulus van der Kolk and Content Lead, Annie Wylie, as they discuss how ReachOut is building more meaningful and relevant service experiences for young people, through technology. ReachOut has recently launched an AI-driven tool designed to deepen the impact of our expert-written content and connect young people with more personalised support, faster.

Annie and Paulus will share insights from ReachOut’s six-month pilot program, which explored young people’s perspectives on personalisation, privacy and security and tested which AI tools and services work best for them.

Key learnings
- Research findings from ReachOut’s recent report exploring how young people use social media and technology to support their mental health and wellbeing.
- Feedback from young people on our initial prototype. Young people have found the tool to be both trustworthy and credible.
- How to balance safety and innovation when designing and delivering an AI-powered youth mental health service.

Over 40% of young people in Australia are experiencing a mental health challenge, yet accessing support has become increasingly difficult. Australia’s mental health system is complex, fragmented and under-resourced. Many young people have told us that traditional avenues of support can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate.

This greater need for mental health support coincides with shifts in how young people engage with services. AI and machine learning transform how young people interact with products, services and the world around them, fundamentally altering their expectations.

The gap between what young people expect from services and what is available creates a significant barrier to accessing mental health support. However, the mental health sector has an unprecedented opportunity to leverage emerging technologies to better meet young people’s needs.

Join ReachOut’s Product Lead, Paulus van der Kolk and Content Lead, Annie Wylie, as they discuss how ReachOut is building more meaningful and relevant service experiences for young people, through technology. ReachOut has recently launched an AI-driven tool designed to deepen the impact of our expert-written content and connect young people with more personalised support, faster.

Annie and Paulus will share insights from ReachOut’s six-month pilot program, which explored young people’s perspectives on personalisation, privacy and security and tested which AI tools and services work best for them.

Key learnings
- Research findings from ReachOut’s recent report exploring how young people use social media and technology to support their mental health and wellbeing.
- Feedback from young people on our initial prototype. Young people have found the tool to be both trustworthy and credible.
- How to balance safety and innovation when designing and delivering an AI-powered youth mental health service.