It has been reported that depression and anxiety have overlapping symptoms and are conceptually interrelated. One of the most prominent theoretical developments that explain this association is Clark and Watson's tripartite model (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100:316-336, 1991) that posits these two disorders and negative emotions share a latent component of negative affect (NA). The current study had two aims, (a) to compare a tripartite factor structure against competing models by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) (Lovibond and Lovibond 1995), and (b) explore the psychometric properties of the DASS-21. The DASS-21 was completed by a representative sample of 4039 young Australians, aged 12-18 years, as part of the South Australian Youth Mental Health Survey (SAYMHS), South Australia, Australia. The best fitting model for the data consisted of anhedonic depression, physiological hyperarousal, and general NA. The psychometric properties of the DASS-21 were excellent with a stable and interpretable factor structure and good internal consistency. The results of the current study suggest that the theoretical tripartite structure of depression and anxiety is robust and applicable among Australian youth. The diagnostic, clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

BackgroundDespite the potential of technology-based mental health interventions for young people, limited uptake and/or adherence is a significant challenge. It is thought that involving young people in the development and delivery of services designed for them leads to better engagement. Further research is required to understand the role of participatory approaches in design of technology-based mental health and well-being interventions for youth.ObjectiveTo investigate consumer involvement processes and associated outcomes from studies using participatory methods in development of technology-based mental health and well-being interventions for youth.MethodsFifteen electronic databases, using both resource-specific subject headings and text words, were searched describing 2 broad concepts-participatory research and mental health/illness. Grey literature was accessed via Google Advanced search, and relevant conference Web sites and reference lists were also searched. A first screening of titles/abstracts eliminated irrelevant citations and documents. The remaining citations were screened by a second reviewer. Full text articles were double screened. All projects employing participatory research processes in development and/or design of (ICT/digital) technology-based youth mental health and well-being interventions were included. No date restrictions were applied; English language only. Data on consumer involvement, research and design process, and outcomes were extracted via framework analysis.ResultsA total of 6210 studies were reviewed, 38 full articles retrieved, and 17 included in this study. It was found that consumer participation was predominantly consultative and consumerist in nature and involved design specification and intervention development, and usability/pilot testing. Sustainable participation was difficult to achieve. Projects reported clear dichotomies around designer/researcher and consumer assumptions of effective and acceptable interventions. It was not possible to determine the impact of participatory research on intervention effectiveness due to lack of outcome data. Planning for or having pre-existing implementation sites assisted implementation. The review also revealed a lack of theory-based design and process evaluation.ConclusionsConsumer consultations helped shape intervention design. However, with little evidence of outcomes and a lack of implementation following piloting, the value of participatory research remains unclear.

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BackgroundFor the majority of serving members, life in the military has a positive effect on wellbeing. However, the type, intensity and duration of service, along with the transition from fulltime military to civilian life, may have a negative effect on veterans’ wellbeing. Such negative consequences, alongside the growing veteran population, indicate the need for greater exploration of veterans’ physical, mental and social wellbeing.MethodsThe current paper reports on the findings of a rapid review of the literature on the health and wellbeing needs of veterans, commissioned by the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs to inform future programs and services. The databases Embase, Medline, Cinahl, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Database were searched for systematic reviews reporting on veterans’ physical, mental and social wellbeing published in English in peer-reviewed journals.ResultsA total of 21 systematic reviews were included. The reviews reported on a range of mental, physical and social health problems affecting veterans. While there was limited information on prevalence rates of physical, mental and social health problems in veterans compared to civilian populations, the reviews demonstrated the interconnection between these domains and the effect of demographic and military service factors.ConclusionsA key finding of the review is the interconnection of the mental, physical, and social health of veterans, highlighting the importance that an integrated approach to veterans’ wellbeing is adopted. It is suggested that understanding key factors, such as demographic factors and factors relating to military service, can support improved service provision for veterans.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12888-017-1547-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundDigital technologies show promise for reversing poor engagement of youth (16–24 years) with mental health services. In particular, mobile and internet based applications with communication capabilities can augment face-to-face mental health service provision. The literature in this field, however, fails to adequately capture the perspectives of the youth mental health workforce regarding utility and acceptability of technology for this purpose.MethodsThis paper describes results of in-depth qualitative data drawn from various stakeholders involved in provision of youth mental health services in one Australian rural region. Data were obtained using focus groups and semi-structured interviews with regional youth mental health clinicians, youth workers and support/management staff (n = 4 focus groups; n = 8 interviews) and analysed via inductive thematic analysis.ResultsResults question the acceptability of technology to engage clients within youth mental health services. Six main themes were identified: young people in a digital age, personal connection, power and vulnerability, professional identity, individual factors and organisational legitimacy.ConclusionsThese findings deepen the understanding of risks and challenges faced when adopting new technologies in mental healthcare. Recommendations for technology design and implementation in mental health services are made.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1790-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Complete State Model of Mental Health was used to describe the prevalence of flourishing, languishing, struggling, and floundering in life in a sample of young South Australians (n = 3,913; 13–17 years, 52% female). Categorisation was based on the relative proportion of mental health and mental illness symptoms reported on standardised measures and the association of these categories to health‐risk behaviour. Variability in categories and health‐risk behaviour due to gender or region was investigated. Results indicated that a disturbingly small proportion of adolescents (<50%) were flourishing in life, that poorer states of mental health were associated with increased health‐risk behaviour, and that the propensity to engage in health‐risk behaviour did vary by gender and region. The current study extends the platform from which positively focused mental health strategies can be tailored and launched to meet the mental health needs of adolescents.

Objective It has been reported that the diagnosis of a chronic illness increases a child's susceptibility to future mental health problems. Accordingly, the objective of the current review was to summarise the best available evidence that described a young person's experience of chronic illness and make recommendations towards the promotion of mental health and prevention of future mental health difficulties. Inclusion criteriaThe review considered qualitative research that used the voices of young people (under 18 years) to describe their experience of chronic illness and the impact it had on their lives.Results A total of 18 qualitative papers were included in the review (nine grounded theory, six phenomenology, one ethnography, one social ecological, and one multiple case study). Forty-four papers were initially identified but 26 were excluded as they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Findings were extracted and meta-synthesised using JBI-QARI. Five syntheses about a young person's experience of chronic illness were derived: (i) the experience of chronic illness makes young people feel uncomfortable in their body and world; (ii) the experience of chronic illness disrupts 'normal' life; (iii) the experience of chronic illness is not all bad; (iv) ways of getting through the chronic illness experience, 'what others can do'; and (v) ways of getting through the chronic illness experience, 'what I can do'.Conclusion A positive perspective needs to be taken to promote mental health in young people with chronic illness; clinicians, families and interventions need to (i) bolster their sense of self; (ii) normalise the experience; (iii) foster its positive impact; (iv) help them accept the situation; and (v) help to develop the future-orientated coping strategies that will provide them with a sense of hope. Research) were hand searched to capture relevant research articles that fell outside the identified search terms. Abstracts that appeared to meet inclusion criteria were retrieved. Search terms that were used to conduct searches for each database are listed in Appendix I. Assessment of methodological qualityIdentified papers were assessed independently by two reviewers for methodological validity prior to inclusion in the review. The standardised critical appraisal instrument from the Joanna Briggs Institute (QARI) was used (Appendix II). All disagreements between reviewers were satisfactorily resolved through discussion. 322 A Venning et al. Data collection and synthesisData were extracted and synthesised using the QARI programme developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. This programme embodies the process of meta-synthesis by aggregating findings in relation to a phenomena under review. The process occurs in three stages: initially, findings are grouped and rated according to their degree of credibility (JBI-QARI degrees of credibility scale outlined below) (Level 1 findings), findings are then categorised on the basis of their similarity in meaning (Level 2 findings), and finally a meta-synthesis is carried ou...