Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2014, 26(3): 217–227 Printed in South Africa — All rights reserved

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JOURNAL OF C H I L D & A D O LES C EN T M EN T A L H EA L T H ISSN 1728-0583 EISSN 1728-0591 http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/17280583.2014.923431

Research Article Improving mental health and wellbeing for young men in the building and construction industry Robyn Broadbent* and Theo Papadopoulos College of Education, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 8001 *Corresponding author, email: [email protected] Statistics on causes of death gathered by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010) report that suicide was the leading cause amongst young men in Australia between the ages of 15-24. The figures have been similarly high for over a decade. In Australia these alarming statistics have led to the funding of a range of programmes tackling youth suicide and more recently programmes that are aimed at improving help-seeking behaviours of young men. The programme reported in this paper is one such programme that is working with young men in the building and construction industry who are regarded at even greater risk of poor mental health outcomes. The research that was undertaken uncovered some of the impact of a universal programme on improving the protective factors of young men in this industry. Young men can present themselves in a very positive light as robust and resilient human beings, contrary to much of the research that has been undertaken with a focus on young men in building and construction and living in rural and remote communities. This paper discusses the data and uses the material to consider how resilient young men in this industry can become key informants and informal peer mentors.

Introduction This paper explores the findings from an independent evaluation undertaken in 2011 of the Incolink Life Skills Programme. Incolink is the trade name for the Redundancy Payment Central Fund Limited. It is a trustee company, established by unions and employers in the Victorian building and construction industry in 1989, to administer industry funds. Incolink, through its charitable trust, offers a range of personal support and counselling services that aim to address work and personal issues encountered by those in the building and construction industry. Services include suicide prevention, intervention and postvention, counselling and chaplaincy, critical incidence response, debt crisis and financial counselling, drug and alcohol services, apprentice support, employment and training services, careers counselling and advice, and health and wellbeing programmes. The growing alarm which surrounds the mental health and wellbeing of young men means that this programme is not only timely but well placed to meet the demand for a community based response. Suicide was the leading cause of death amongst Australians aged 15–24 years (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2010). That does not include the 525 reported incidents of suicide attempts or self-harm during the same timeframe. Many incidents go unreported so it is likely that the true figure is much higher (Slade et al. 2009). Research from Australia’s national depression initiative, Beyond Blue, indicates that these young men are at higher risk of committing suicide than other groups in the community. In general, men are more likely to commit suicide than women are, but the rapid increase in suicide amongst young men is alarming. Suicide rates amongst young men aged 15–24

Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health is co-published by NISC (Pty) Ltd and Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group

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years have tripled over the last 30 years and 4 times more young men than women commit suicide (Beyond Blue 2007 cited in Green et al. 2009). Accurate data on suicidality among young people in rural areas are difficult to obtain. Nonetheless, recent comprehensive research data have shown that male suicide rates are 33% higher in rural areas than in major cities, rising to 189% higher in very remote areas (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010). Rural and remote areas of Australia experience unique challenges, many of which especially affect young people. Factors that exacerbate this distress for young people include under-employment, lack of health and education services, restricted social and career opportunities, and cultural stoicism. Should young people need help for emotional or mental health problems, services and information are lacking in remote areas, which typically rely on general practitioners for all health services. Furthermore, accessibility to fire arms in rural areas contributes to the lethality of youth suicide attempts. In the face of these devastating community figures the Australian Federal Government has responded with a range of programmes and initiatives. The Life Care Skills Programme, the focus of this research, is delivered by Incolink to young apprentices as one component of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS) through the Living is For Everyone (LIFE) Framework funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. Operating since 2006 in rural, regional and metropolitan Victoria, Australia, this programme targets apprentices and young workers in the building and construction industry who are predominantly young men aged between 15 and 25 years (Green et al. 2009), and who, as identified above, are at particular risk for suicide. The research, undertaken at the end of 2010 and into 2011, focussed on the outcomes of this programme and considered its value in the broader context of providing young people with a ‘safety net‘. Many of the young men that participate in the Life Care Skills Programme live in rural Victoria and work on small building sites. The current apprenticeship employment model, which has shifted from regular weekly training at vocational colleges to a greater emphasis of ‘learning on the job‘, limits these young men in their ability to build those extra connections with teachers, other work-mates and an educational institution. Young people who do not have the more ‘traditional community ties’ through family and/or sport can find themselves isolated, and as such are at much greater risk for a range of mental health issues (Semo 2011). This paper highlights the efficacy of the programme in increasing participants’ knowledge about mental health and improving help-seeking behaviour. Indeed, the research noted improvements in life skills which are likely to have reduced the proportion of young people within the target group identified as being at risk. Finally, what is also suggested is that this industry does have a group of very resilient young men and a group of isolated young men who are at risk of very poor mental health outcomes. This programme set out to build on the strengths of young men and has demonstrated increased knowledge and understanding of support contacts and services while highlighting the importance of peer networks as a safety net. Project context: A spotlight on the prevention of youth suicide The 2003 Cole Royal Commission into the building and construction industry found that 41% of all deaths in the industry occurred as a result of suicide. More recent research conducted by the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention at Griffith University found that the suicide rate for workers in the building and construction industry was significantly higher than the national rate for working-aged Australian men (Heller, Hawgood and De Leo 2007). These findings indicate that suicide is a significant problem in the building and construction industry. In 2006 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) developed the National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006–2011 (COAG 2006). The plan focuses on promotion, prevention and early intervention as critical to enabling the community to better recognise the risk factors and early signs of mental illness and to find appropriate treatment. Research underpinning the plan suggests that there is growing evidence of the importance of identification and early treatment of mental illness. The plan highlights that when this happens mental illness in individuals is often less severe, of shorter duration and less likely to recur. Early intervention is therefore critical to promoting

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recovery and to reducing the incidence in the community of chronic disability. The plan identifies several specific policy directions necessary to achieve effective promotion and prevention and early intervention, including:  building resilience and coping skills of children, young people and families  raising community awareness  improving capacity for early identification and referral to appropriate services  improving treatment to better respond to the early onset of mental illness particularly for children and young people  investing in mental health research to better understand the onset and treatment of mental illnesses The direction of the plan not only highlights the importance of early intervention and the connection of young people to the service system through proper referral, but also the significance of each individual’s social capital in their own personal safety net. Researchers, youth workers, teachers, policy makers and government officials argue strongly that social capital is an essential component to a meaningful life, that is, the greater social connectedness one has to friendship groups, employment pathways, community organisations and cultural resources, the greater likelihood there is of attaining a state of spiritual, physical and mental wellbeing (Black and Hughes 2001, Forrest and Kearns 2001). Moreover, the construction of healthy, vibrant and connected societies is largely the result of social networks (Portes 1998, Putnam 2000). Corney and Du Plessis (2010), in their work on peer mentoring networks in the building industry, identify that encouragement from concerned family or friends often acts as an impetus for men to seek professional assistance with problems (Howerton et al. 2007 cited in Corney and Du Plessis 2010). The presence of supportive social relationships is a significant factor in increasing their likelihood of displaying help-seeking behaviour, and family and friends are prime resources for men experiencing mental or physical health problems (Du Plessis et al. 2009). It is the help-seeking behaviour that this programme wants to challenge and improve. Kuhl et al. (1997) suggests that one of the most consistent findings in the area of help-seeking is that females seek greater help than males. Saunders et al. (1994) reported that the socio-economic status of young people affected their tendency to seek help. In essence young men from lower socio-economic class families where health and wellbeing management may not be considered as always affordable or necessary are less likely to seek assistance. More importantly, Kuhl et al. (1997) suggested that suicidal ideation was a substantial barrier to seeking help. Rickwood et al. (2005) in their work on help-seeking in adolescents concurred, suggesting that suicidal thoughts, lack of emotional competence, and negative attitudes and beliefs regarding seeking professional mental health care are endemic in young people. It is argued that these factors prevent the personal domain of psychological distress being expressed within the interpersonal domain of social relationships. Rickwood et al. (2005) goes on to suggest that boys seem to be socialised to seek less help from all sources across the early and mid-adolescent years. This is particularly important in a period where young men transitioning to adulthood may be reducing their reliance on family and are neglecting to build supportive friendships. These circumstances undermine the ability of young men to seek professional help. The decline in help-seeking for boys starts early in the high school years, appearing between Years 7 and 8. Boyd et al. 2011 argued in their research that this is then compounded by isolation. A content analysis of the barriers to help-seeking nominated by the rural participants of their study revealed that perceived limited availability of professional services in the town, perceived social proximity and fear of rural gossip, and difficulties associated with travelling to obtain help were the most significant concerns for these youth. Research methodology This evaluation was the second that focussed on the Life Care Skills Programme by Incolink. The key aim of this study was to ascertain whether the information, resources and support provided by Incolink was making an impact. In essence the study aimed to determine whether young men used any of the services or sought out others and if they retained information about the services that

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they may then use at a time in their life when they may need professional assistance. The methodology of the first study had an impact on the design of this research. The first, Sharples and Aguirre (2009), collected data from participants immediately after the Life Care Skills session. The surveys were carried out by Life Care workers and included both trade teachers and 518 apprentices. The surveys aimed to discover whether the sessions were able to promote knowledge of suicide risk factors and help-seeking in the current format. The survey findings confirmed that the session format and its content is successful in creating awareness on important topics relating to suicide risk and prevention as well as promoting key messages regarding help-seeking behaviour. Most respondents had gained knowledge about life transitions (99%) and Incolink services (99%) with 20% of respondents identifying Incolink services as someone they could speak to. In acknowledging that the Sharples and Aguirre (2009) evaluation had focussed on the information gains as measurable outcomes immediately after the Life Care Skills sessions, Incolink were clear that they wanted a more longitudinal evaluation to assess, amongst other things, whether knowledge had been retained over an extended period. On that basis the data for this research were collected from participants who had previously undertaken the Life Care Skills sessions anytime between the previous six months and two years earlier. Apprentice interviews Apprentice support officers were asked to identify classes where they had been responsible for delivering a Life Skills session to the apprentices. On that basis the research team randomly chose young people from 10 classes to interview. Classes would average 25 students and participation in an interview was voluntary. To ensure participants reflected urban and regional distinctiveness, the sample frame included 7 classes in rural Victoria and a further 3 in the outer metropolitan area, and was limited to young people who participated in the Life Skills Programme between 6 and 24 months earlier. Snowball sampling was also used to increase the number of participants to be interviewed. Snowball sampling is a sampling technique based on referrals. Participants were asked to recommend others who might be willing to take part in the evaluation (Ruane 2004). Semi-structured one-on-one interviews with 18 apprentices who had attended a Life Care Skills Workshop sometime in the past two years were conducted. All those selected had previously completed their surveys. Twelve of these young men were from rural Victoria. These interviews took place at vocational colleges that deliver apprentice training in Shepparton, Preston and Bendigo. Qualitative research methods such as interviews and case studies give participants the opportunity to articulate their understandings of the Life Care Skills session and the individual messages that they encountered. Walter (2006) notes the importance of using qualitative data collection tools because it allows for the emergence of social patterns and social meanings that can lead to the development of new ways of examining social phenomena. All of the qualitative data collected throughout the project were analysed using a ‘thematic approach’. The data are coded ‘line by line’ and then generates patterns of descriptive themes that arise (Thomas and Harden 2008). Surveys The surveys reported in this paper were conducted at the end of 2010 and into 2011. Workshops are attended by a diversity of apprentices from a range of professions in the building and construction industry. The classes selected for the survey sample had a similar occupation and age distribution to those of other urban and regional cohorts. A sample of 119 young apprentices who participated in the Life Care Skills workshops completed the survey. The median age was 20, with most in the range of 18 to 22 years of age. The apprentices who undertook this survey had not been involved in the 2009 evaluation providing a new perspective on the cycle of the programme and its efficacy. The survey collection was undertaken by teaching staff at various vocational colleges. Although it was voluntary, almost all apprentices attending classes elected to complete the survey enabling a more representative sample of young people to be included in the research. Apprentices have a keen awareness of the distinction between information sessions such as the Life Care sessions

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and their vocational college. This meant that it was more likely apprentices would answer honestly because it would have no impact on their student status or their relationships within their own vocational institution. The surveys were also carried out over a longer period. Apprentice support officers employed by Incolink visited the college and provided teaching staff with the surveys to implement in the classroom. The process required a long lead time due to the staggered timetables of apprentices attending training. Some apprentices are now only required to attend their off-the-job training at their Vocational College once in every three-month cycle. Therefore, connecting with young apprentices when they are in their vocational colleges has proven to be one of the key challenges for the data collection. Considerable divergence existed in the time that had lapsed since apprentices attended the Life Care Skills Programme workshops and the administration of the survey, with most participants completing the survey six months after the workshop. The survey was designed to include several scales aligned to programme goals around developing resilience, self-help and referral, peer-support and reducing risk factors. Survey questions contained within these scales have been used in other studies and have been reliability tested and validated, and include a general self-efficacy scale (Schwarzer and Jerusalem 2000), risk and protective factors (focussing on alcohol and drug use), perceived control of life events (Health Outcomes Assessment Unit 2001), awareness of depression (Highet et al. 2002), and instrumental and emotional support seeking behaviour (Greenglass et al. 1999). The survey also sought reflections of the Life Care Skills workshops to gauge lessons learnt, awareness of Incolink support services for apprentices, and whether the workshops encouraged help-seeking from Incolink Life Care Workers or referrals to other services. Respondents were typically asked to indicate their level of agreement with a series of statements on a four-point Likert scale. A multi-method approach combining qualitative and quantitative techniques is critical and recognises that social transformation and empowerment is about identifying what is important and valued by programme stakeholders. The programme logic model provided the foundation for the evaluation framework ensuring that proposed methods identify key interactions between resources (workshops, site visits and individual contacts), reasoning (behavioural changes), context (building workplaces, projects with a focus on young men/cultural dimensions) and outcomes. Ultimately our goal was to develop a good understanding of what worked, how it worked, for whom it worked and in what contexts, providing a clearer picture of critical success factors that will inform how Incolink might enhance the model, its implementation and transferability. Life Care Skills as a holistic programme The Life Skills Programme is primarily a one-off 1.5 hour workshop and is delivered to all first year construction and metal trades apprentices in rural Victoria, and to metropolitan apprentices at vocational colleges and group training venues, and very occasionally on building sites. A critical element of the workshop is the opportunity to connect a young man to a suite of services both at Incolink and in their own community or neighbouring community. Ongoing support and referrals are tailored to the particular needs and challenges faced by individuals. To date, over 7 000 young men have participated in the programme (Green et al. 2009). In addition to the workshops Incolink Life Care workers provide:  Information, assessment and referral to a community service or to a counselling services  Face-to-face counselling (these can occur in a variety of locations, at the Vocational Training College, coffee shops, homes, etc.)  Outreach: provides the opportunity to connect with a young man on a building site that has been identified by others or by requesting a visit (Green et al. 2009) Right from the start of this research project Incolink staff emphasised that the programme was not just about the Life Care Skills workshops, but a holistic programme aimed at assisting young people to overcome some of the personal hurdles they will face in their lives. Contextualised to the young men as an industry session, Life Care workers then provided young people with messages about how their personal life affects their working life and vice versa and the importance of looking

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after their physical and mental health. In return, the industry looks after them because Incolink, as a representative of industry, aims to support them to ensure their retention in their apprenticeship until completion. Incolink would maintain, through their Life Care Skills Programme, that everyone benefits from this strategy: employer, employee and community. In the context of skills shortages across Australia, and to the extent that the programme contributes to a potential reduction in apprenticeship attrition, there are also important benefits for industry and the economy. The research team attended the workshops that were still ongoing as a part of the project to understand how the message was conveyed. In each session some young men who would take the opportunity to discuss issues that they were aware of through their own or friend experiences. These included outstanding fines, clarifying financial issues and seeking rental arbitration where landlord issues had arisen. Raising these issues in the classrooms meant established a pattern of information and services that were available to them. The Life Care worker was always available after each session and in the following weeks at the campus to follow up on their classroom stories. The opportunity to seek further assistance about workplace issues, bullying, relationships and personal mental health and well-being was also an important message of the programme. Interviews with apprentices demonstrated that this key message was received. The survey data represented supports this; Table 1 illustrates that 61% of respondents believed the session helped

Table 1: Signs of someone doing it tough Sign Angry/aggressive Stressed Withdrawn/disinterested Impatient Defensive/emotional Body language Depressed Change in behaviour Drugs/alcohol use Quiet Crying Money trouble Racism

Frequency 17 11 9 6 5 5 5 3 3 2 2 1 1

PERCENTAGE (%)

70

61.9%

60 50 40 30 18.7%

20 10

12.9% 6.6%

Not helpful

Barely helpful

Figure 1: Overall workshop effectiveness

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

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them to think about their lifestyle behaviour and how it can have an impact on their health and wellbeing. Overall effectiveness scores were estimated by taking the mean score for each workshop element described in Figure 1. This revealed that around 7 in 10 apprentices (74.8%) who attended the workshops found them helpful in developing the range of skills and knowledge areas covered, with around 6 in 10 (61.9%) and 1 in 10 (12.9%) rating the workshops as “somewhat helpful” and “very helpful” respectively. Around 2 in 10 (18.7%) found the workshops “barely helpful” and 6.6% indicated they were “not helpful”. This should be noted within the context of young people’s help-seeking behaviours more generally. If they have not needed to seek assistance then they are less likely to be engaged by a session that is encouraging them to do so. What is important in this case is that the young men identified in the survey and interviews that the information they retained about Incolink and its complimentary services were useful for when they or, in some cases, a mate may need it. Findings The isolation of young apprentices in the building industry The context of the vocation in building and construction is an important backdrop to this research. Young men often work on building sites with a handful of adults, in some cases it may only be one. Therefore this workplace does not have a range of support mechanisms or policies in place. It is built on the daily relationships that exist on that building site. Commercial building sites are a little different, as discussed below, however, the culture of men does not necessarily change and apprentices reported that they had limited opportunities to connect to a support network. It is an industry where young people often find that they are isolated and must seek solutions to whatever they face both professionally and personally, as indicated in the following quotes: ‘There’s just me and my cousin and we work for my uncle. So there really is only four of us.’ ‘We are just a small plumbing business there is just me really and the boss. Occasionally he works with another bloke if the job is bigger.’ ‘I work with my dad and brother.’ ‘I work with my dad and my three brothers, they are all qualified, I am the youngest.’ (Young apprentices). Reviewing the specific skills and knowledge detailed in Figure 1 we find that some outcomes diverge somewhat to the overall rating presented in Table 1. For example, a higher proportion of apprentices, around 2 in 10 (17.2%) and 6 in 10 (57.6) found the workshops very helpful and somewhat helpful in raising awareness of risk factors associated with suicide respectively. Likewise, around 8 in 10 indicated that the workshops assisted them to understand how to help others facing problems with a similar proportion indicating the workshops encouraged them to seek advice if something in their life was going wrong. These results suggest that the Life Care Skills Programme has been successful in raising awareness of suicide risk factors, getting help if needed and supporting friends who might be facing problems. Around 7 in 10 found the workshops were helpful in developing skills and knowledge to help cope with life events, prompted them to think about lifestyle behaviour and how risk taking can affect their health and wellbeing. These results demonstrate that the workshops have been successful in having an impact on the building of life skills and encouraging most young people attending to make connections between attitude, behaviour and life experiences. Importantly, these changes are attributed to the programme itself. A key objective of the workshops was improving understanding of someone “doing it tough”, what to look for and how to help someone in need. To test the effectiveness of the workshops in communicating this message, young apprentices were asked to indicate what they believed were signs of doing it tough — with an opportunity to provide up to three signs. The responses, presented in Table 1, suggest an understanding of a broad range of signals that might be indicative of someone doing it tough. The descriptors used by young apprentices included: mood change,

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poor work quality, aggression, distant, impatient, body language, emotional, withdrawn, stressed, antisocial, fatigued, tired and confused. The frequency of the responses are presented in the Table 8 with anger or aggression the most common sign (17) followed by signs of stress (11) and being withdrawn or disinterested (9). While some young apprentices had participated in the workshop up to two years earlier, they were still able to recall key messages around self-help, and depression and Incolink services. Survey respondents were invited to list up to three things they could remember about the workshop. These have been themed and presented in Table 2 ranked by frequency of written response. Putting aside the free pencils, the key messages retained by young apprentices were: financial issues; the range of Incolink services available and the support available from the Incolink worker; discussing depression, mental health and suicide; how to get help; self-help; and drug and alcohol issues. In one of the interviews Sean (not his real name) talks about the Life Care Skills workshop in great detail. He had attended the session 12 months earlier, but recalled details about depression, suicide, drugs and alcohol and how important it was to talk to your mates about mental health. ‘That bloke from Incolink talked to us about depression and looking after your mates. He told us a story about a bloke that committed suicide and just what he had been saying and how someone needed to intervene. He told us what to look for: you know if your mate is saying stuff like I want to give up and I don’t feel like anyone cares. He said you gotta ask your mates how they are travelling, because blokes can be pretty hard to talk to about personal stuff. He told us about how Incolink had counsellors and could help with all sorts of stuff, you know mental health but also debts or fines and if you had a drug problem. It was really good; I would tell my mates that this is where you should go. He also talked about superannuation.’ In an attempt to more directly link behaviour to the Life Care Skills Workshop, young apprentices were asked if they had changed anything as a result of the session. Responses to this section were relatively low (around 30%) but suggest that the session has affected around 3 in 10 young apprentices (35%). The changes cited are presented in Table 3 and include commencing a saving plan and better financial management, a greater awareness of others and talking to others more. Table 2: Workshop issues remembered Issues recalled Free pencils/giveaways Financial information and assistance Incolink Services and Life Care worker support Depression, suicide and mental health Getting help & support information Self help Drugs and alcohol Workplace issues Redundancy fund Problem solving

Frequency 35 14 13 10 8 7 6 6 5 4

Table 3: Changes resulting from the Life Care Skills Workshop Response No change Saving/budgeting Awareness of others Talking to other people Changed everything

Per cent 65 14 11 8 3

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Notable quotes include: ‘more patient and tolerant’; ‘look out for friends more’; and ‘find a better work–life balance. The survey also explored the success of the workshops in raising awareness of and encouraging proactive coping behaviour utilising Incolink and other support services available to young people. Participants revealed that around 5 in 10 young people attending the workshops feel comfortable contacting an Incolink Life Care worker if they were having problems. Importantly, after doing the workshop 13 young people (14%) felt encouraged to seek help about a problem. Participants also indicated that 17 young people sought assistance at some point after the workshop. Of these, six sought help from an Incolink Life Care worker, one of which was referred to another support service. Fourteen indicated that they got support on their own, some of whom also sought help from an Incolink worker. In addition, some participants indicated that they did not seek help after the lncolink workshop indicating that they had a network to assist them, citing parents, friends, family doctor or family as key sources of support. An outcome that remains highly positive because of the information about the range of community services and where they can seek help is provided as a part of the sessions (see Table 4). For those who did contact an Incolink worker or one of several support or referral services offered by Incolink, most (12 of 14) found the process of getting connected or referred easy to navigate. Early intervention and prevention programmes that provide information, advice and support can shift the balance of risk and protective factors and increase the likelihood that young people will successfully negotiate this period of turbulent change (ARACY 2010). Research by the National Children’s Alliance reasons that the key protective factors against mental health issues are personal capability and social skills, relationships and social support, and in community engagement and school cultural and recreational activities (2005 cited by Brechman-Tousaint and Kogler 2010). Apprentices were asked to rate the support received by Incolink Life Care workers with statements exploring instrumental support (got advice when needed), emotional support (felt valued), informational support (found something positive) and overall satisfaction with support received. Figure 2 reveals that 8 in 10 young people were satisfied with the overall quality of service received; around 2 in 10 disagreed. This distribution across the four-point Likert scale is consistent for the other three items (instrumental, emotional and informational support) demonstrating that Incolink workers or referrals provided accessible and effective support services. Concluding comments Life Care workers provide young people with messages about how their personal life affects their working life in an aim to connect the two as an important personal mental and physical health framework. Both the qualitative and quantitative data could identify that the messages are being heard. Each workshop provides a means for a range of personal health and wellbeing messages to be conveyed. The focus of the programme is on empowering young people via a succinct yet carefully structured and focussed prevention programme, usually integrated into an existing system such as education. This research evidences success in raising young people’s awareness of risk factors and of the range of services available should they need assistance. While there is evidence Table 4: Percentage of referral from Incolink workers (N = 22) If you made contact with an Incolink Worker or Incolink, was the process of getting connected or referred to the right information or support easy? Not easy Barely easy Fairly easy Very easy Did not enquire about services

Percentage 2 0 11 1 8

9 0 50 5 36

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that the information sessions have encouraged some young people to seek assistance, the overall impact of the programme on physical and mental health is outside the scope of this exploratory research. One of the unintended aspects of the programme was the acknowledgement by young men of the importance of peer networks. Interviews with apprentices revealed that many became informal mentors, armed with information and skills developed in the workshops, to support their peers. The programme therefore can have a reach beyond those attending workshops with peer support providing ongoing benefits beyond the ancillary services provided by Incolink. Though not a focus of this research it provides some direction for future research based on Incolink’s own work that peer-to-peer relational networks are important and that a structured approach, such as the Life Care Skills Programme can bolster those informal networks. The research project provided some evidence of the efficacy of universal programmes as an early intervention strategy for suicide prevention. Ever present is the evidence that young men in rural communities are more at risk than their metropolitan counterparts (Suicide Prevention Australia 2010). This risk is further exacerbated for young men who may be experiencing isolation on building industry worksites. It is a tension that can only be resolved by carefully targeting universal programmes regardless of the protective factors prevalent in any one group. Suicide Prevention Australia (2010) states that a strong case has been made in defence of universal programmes and what they offer in relation to very good value for money. By targeting all young people within prevention programmes, then service providers are assured that they will capture young people experiencing a range of risk factors. This is especially the case if the sessions are integrated into an existing system such as education where universal programmes can deliver universal messages that are further contextualised to the individual in the delivery itself. References Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2010. Causes of death, suicide, 2008. ABS Catalogue number 3303.0. Available at http://ausstats.abs.abs.gov.au [accessed 13 March 2011]. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 2010. A snapshot of men’s health in regional and remote Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. ARACY (Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth). 2010. Conceptualisation of social and emotional wellbeing for children and young people, and policy implications. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Black A, Hughes P. 2001. The identification and analysis of indicators of community strength and outcomes. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services.

Strongly disagree

PERCENTAGE (%)

70

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree 67%

64%

N = 39 67%

62%

60 50 40 30 21%

20 10

15%

15%

5%

I was able to get advice when I needed it

13%

13% 5%

This person made me feel valued and important

Figure 2: Support received by Incolink

5%

15%

15%

13%

5%

This person helped In general, I am very me find something satisfied with the positive in my situation service I received

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Improving mental health and wellbeing for young men in the building and construction industry.

Statistics on causes of death gathered by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010) report that suicide was the leading cause amongst young men in Au...
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