Webinar: Substance use and mental health among rural youth

Dr Alice Munro, Western NSW Local Health District; Dr Georgina Luscombe, School of Rural Heath, University of Sydney; Dr Hazel Dalton, Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health and Ms Nicole Snowdon, Lives Lived Well.

1-hour webinar recording and handout, available on demand.

This webinar is for school staff, health professionals, parents, and people who are seeking information about drug use and related harms among rural youth.

Around one-third of young Australians live in rural and remote communities. Research suggests use of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs, in addition to co-occurring mental health issues are higher among these young people compared to those living in big cities, and that rural youth are at greater risk of harms related to substance use.

In order to reduce these risks, we must consider the unique challenges faced by rural and regional youth. This webinar will present research on substance use and mental health among rural young people, and discuss potential solutions to help support rural youth and reduce the risk of harms.

This webinar will provide:

• Current research findings on rural youth wellbeing, substance use, and mental health.
• Strategies that adults engaging with rural youth can apply to help minimise the risk of harm.

This webinar was developed by Dr Alice Munro, Western NSW Local Health District; Dr Georgina Luscombe, School of Rural Heath, the University of Sydney; Dr Hazel Dalton, Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health; and Ms Nicole Snowdon, Lives Lived Well, and was informed by a review of the research evidence on this topic.

(Webinar conducted on 13/11/18)