Mental Health in Practice
Practical conversations about mental health care across Australia’s health system.
Mental Health in Practice is a podcast for health professionals working across the mental health system, featuring conversations grounded in real-world experience.
Each episode brings together perspectives from clinical practice, research, and sector expertise to explore contemporary mental health care.
The show focuses on what thoughtful, collaborative care looks like in practice – and how professionals across disciplines can better support mental health outcomes for Australians.
Mental Health in Practice
A Conversation About… The Importance of Belonging for Young People
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“When students have a high sense of school belonging, we see reduced mental health [concerns], improved well-being, even improved physical health and better school experiences, the benefits of a sense of school belonging are really quite compelling...”
Get ready to put the research into practice about the key elements that contribute to young people feeling a sense of belonging. Discover the relationship between belonging and inclusion and find out how belonging relates to loneliness.
Tune in to this episode of ‘A Conversation About..., as community psychologist Dr. Lyn O'Grady and educational and developmental psychologist, Associate Professor Kelly-Ann Allen unpack the complexities and value of belonging – how it is nuanced across individuals and time – and how ultimately a sense of belonging can be connected to long-term well-being. They also discuss the ‘dark side of belonging’ and how a need to ‘fit in’ can lead young people to engage in behaviors that may not support their mental wellbeing.
Kelly-Ann shares her research into ‘discovering the ingredients’ that helps young people feel they ‘belong’ at school. How teachers play a key role and what schools can do to support both students and teachers to belong. They also reflect on the COVID-19 lockdowns and how our collective sense of belonging has evolved, creating innovative new ways to connect.
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