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Adolescence and young adulthood are critical periods for the onset of mental health problems (Burns, Davenport et al., 2010) as almost 50 per cent of disorders emerge by age 14, with 75 per cent of disorders having their onset before 24 years of age (Kessler, Berglund et al. 2005). A recent national survey of young Australians’ mental health and well-being found that 16 per cent experienced substance use disorders, 7 per cent affective disorders and 11 per cent anxiety disorders (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007).

Timely and appropriate help-seeking can reduce the enduring impact of many of these mental health problems (Rickwood, Deane et al., 2007); however, only 29 per cent of young people who require clinical care seek help (Slade, Johnston et al., 2009; Burns, Davenport et al., 2010). Of those who do receive care, many do not receive the most suitable evidence-based treatments at the most opportune time (Andrews, Sanderson et al., 2000; Libby, Brent et al., 2007). The reasons for young people’s reluctance to seek help are many and varied (Wilson, Bushnell et al., 2011). Factors include the help-negation effect–the theory that higher levels of suicidal ideation (thinking) predict lower intention to seek help from both formal and informal sources, and higher intention to seek no help at all (Wilson and Deane, 2001; Wilson, Deane et al., 2003; Wilson, Deane et al., 2005; Gibb, Fergusson et al., 2010; Wilson, Deane et al., 2010), having no experience of previous professional mental health care (Carlton and Deane, 2000) and negative beliefs about the usefulness of therapy and therapists (Kuhl, Jarkon-Horlick et al., 1997).