Mental health support for students
I need help now
Having a tough time and need support right now? Help is available. Access confidential, 24/7 support.
If you don’t feel safe or are worried about a friend’s safety, call 000. You can also call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) to talk to a counsellor from the National Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence hotline.
Primary school students
How can I look after myself?
Where to get help
- For support you can speak with a trusted friend, family member or carer.
- At school talking to your class teacher is a great place to start.
- School counsellors and school psychologists and other wellbeing staff are available to help.
- External support such as Kids Helpline and Lifeline. Click here to access more confidential, 24/7 support
Voice-over:
Your class teacher is always a great person to start with. If you are feeling sad, worried, unsafe or concerned about anything happening at school and in the playground, at home or outside of school, they want to hear what you have to say and find a way to help you.
You can also speak with other teachers, your school librarian, your principal, and the staff in the front office.
Your school might also have a Wellbeing Nurse, Student Wellbeing Officer or a Student Support Officer. All of these people will listen to your problems and if they think you need more help, they will find the best person for you.
All students, who go to New South Wales public schools from Kindergarten to Year 12, can also speak to someone from the school counselling service.
In your primary school, your school counsellor or school psychologist is someone who can sit with and just speak to you about things you want to talk about, or they may organise a small group to share tips and ideas important to all students.
If you don’t know who your school counsellor or school psychologist is, ask your teacher and they can introduce you.
So, you can see, there are lots of different people at your school that you can talk to – about anything.
When it comes to looking after yourself, you don’t have to do it on your own. You are important to all the teachers and other staff in your school. There is always someone there for you. So, when you need help, be sure to let them know.
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Other helpful resources
Kids Helpline: Resources for kids aged 5-12External link – Life throws us curve balls every day. Kids Helpline’s website has lots of information to help you manage the tricky times, or connect with someone to get advice.
For ages 12 and older: #chatsafe: A young person’s guide to communicating safely online about self-harm and suicide.
Secondary school students
How can I look after myself?
- For support, speak with a trusted friend, family member, carer or school staff member.
- School staff are available to listen to your concerns and provide you with assistance.
- You can to speak to your year adviser, student support officer or head teacher, wellbeing.
- School counsellors and school psychologists and other wellbeing staff are available to help.
Voice-over
At every school there are people you can talk to should you ever have a problem. It doesn’t matter how big or small that problem might feel to you. They’re there to help.
How about we go meet some of them?
Your teacher is always willing to listen and help. If they feel they are not the best person to help, they will know someone who can.
Your year adviser can also support you. They can help if you are having problems with friends and managing your school work. They can also connect you with other people who can help.
If your school has a wellbeing head teacher, or a WHIN Coordinator, you can also speak with them. They will work with you to decide who you want to talk to about whatever is going on. They’re there to support you.
There may also be a student support officer in your school who runs wellbeing programs with groups of students to help everyone feel and stay connected. They’re there to listen to you and figure out the best way to help you. If you need specialist help, they can organise that for you, too.
Public school students right across New South Wales, from Kindergarten to Year 12, can speak to a school counsellor or school psychologist. These staff have qualifications in psychology and work specifically with young people to provide extra advice and support. You can talk to them about all sorts of problems, and they can help you to understand, and manage, your thoughts and feelings. Some students talk to them when they are feeling sad, or anxious, but others just want some good advice on learning how to cope with things.
So, as you can see, there are lots of different people at your school that you can talk to. Because when it comes to looking after your mental health and wellbeing, you don’t have to do it on your own.
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Other helpful resources
- Department of Education: Wellbeing services – Everyone needs help sometimes and there's lots of advice and support out there. Many services have online and phone options, so you can chat with a mental health professional at a time and in a way, that works best for you.
- Kids HelplineExternal link – Life throws us curve balls every day. Kids Helpline has lots of information to help you manage the tricky times, or connect with someone to get advice.
- ReachOut SchoolExternal link – tools, advice and resources for students in Year 7 and beyond.
- ReachOut: 6 ways to get help for mental healthExternal link – If you feel you need some help but don't know where to start, ReachOut has some great ideas for where to go for the support you're after.
- headspace: how headspace can helpExternal link – When things get tough, it can help to talk to someone who understands what you're going through. headspace has lots of support services to get you back on track and look after your mental health.
- ReachOut: StressExternal link – We all experience stress from time to time. To help you manage stressful situations and get back a sense of control, check out these helpful strategies from ReachOut.
- ReachOut: Mental fitnessExternal link – Mental fitness is just like physical fitness - we have to work at it. ReachOut can show you a number of ways to look after your mental fitness.
- Headspace: How to cope with the stress of natural disastersExternal link
- NSW Department of Education: Stay healthy HSC - Be kind to your mind and focus on your wellbeing needs during the HSC with resources from our partner ReachOut Australia and others.
#chatsafe: A young person’s guide to communicating safely online about self-harm and suicide
Nationally recognised mental health services agency, Orygen, has published a very helpful guide for young people aged 12 to 25 which shares ways to communicate safely online about self-harm and suicide. The guide includes:
- General tips on how to stay safe online.
- How to safely create and share self-harm and suicide content.
- How to safely consume self-harm and suicide content as a viewer and/or responder.
- Livestreams of self-harm and suicide acts.
- Self-harm and suicide games, pacts, and hoaxes.
- Self-harm and suicide communities.
- Bereavement and communicating about someone who has died by suicide.
- Guidance for influencers.
Download: #chatsafe: A young person’s guide to communicating safely online about self-harm and suicide.
How can I help a friend?
Sometimes you might be the first one to notice when your friend seems to be doing it tough and you need some ideas on how to help.
- headspace: How to help a friend going through a tough timeExternal link – Knowing what to say or do when a friend is having a tough time can be hard. Check out headspace for tips on what to do, even if your friend is pushing you away.
- ReachOut: How to ask a friend if they're okayExternal link – Not sure how to ask if your friend's OK? Here's some helpful tips from ReachOut on how to start the conversation.
- Beyond Blue: The Check-in AppExternal link – Beyond Blue's Check-in app guides you through four steps to helping a friend. It can also link you up with online and phone services - all on your mobile.