A NEW project led by Flinders University aims to assist Australian teenagers facing long wait times for mental health treatment.
The project, titled 'Left to their own devices', focuses on helping GPs better support adolescent patients while they await specialist services.
Prof Bridianne O'Dea, from the Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing highlighted the issue, noting that many teens wait over 100 days to receive treatment after a GP referral.
"The wait time is a period of significant vulnerability for young people if symptoms are acute," O'Dea observed.
The project will test digital interventions, such as smartphone apps and SMS chat, to offer immediate support without adding delays.
The project is funded by $975,579 from the Medical Research Future Fund, and involves collaboration with mental health experts from various universities and organisations like SANE Australia and the Black Dog Institute.
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