Youth Aware Mental Health (YAM)

For the last three weeks, our Year 9 students have been involved in a government initiative aimed at helping students to be more aware of mental health.

What is YAM?

YAM stands for Youth Aware Mental Health.

YAM is a culturally sensitive program that integrates into the school’s existing wellbeing initiatives. It is delivered by qualified instructors and targets all Year 9 students for five hours in three separate sessions over a three-week period. There are six themes explored through discussion and role-play in the program: What is mental health; Self-help advice; Stress and crisis; Depression and suicidal thoughts; Helping a friend in need; Who can I ask for advice.

Students were also issued an information resource booklet about the content covered in the course as well as local support networks that they may find helpful.

Feedback from our Year 9 students, included:

• I found YAM pretty good how they always involved everyone. It was interesting to hear all the facts.

• The part that was most helpful was probably the contacts of who we can talk to

• YAM was very good. I learnt more about mental health and issues around it. It was very helpful for teaching us how to talk to someone possibly going through these issues.

• YAM was great. I learnt about how to know if someone may be depressed and ways to help them which I thought was the most useful part of the program. I found It very enjoyable.

• Yes, it was helpful to know what is/can happen to us.

• The staff were very nice and explained it to suit our age group.

• They told us what to do and say if one of our friends are thinking suicidal thoughts or are depressed.