Holding on to Hope for Young People

The 2nd Australian Positive Psychology and Well-being Conference provides a unique platform to raise awareness of the potential for evidence-based coaching to add value to strategies targeting young people at risk.

Just under six months ago I wrote my first blog for Open Forum titled ‘Where there’s hope there’s flourishing young people’. In the article I focused on how evidence-based coaching, as an applied positive psychology, might build well-being, resilience and hope in at risk or ‘disengaged’ young people. I also raised the potential for coaching to assist those who support at risk young people; such as volunteers, youth workers and managers within the public and Not for Profit sectors.

It’s back to work but is anybody there?!

It’s the New Year, we are back to work and have hopefully got through the 18th January ‘Blue Monday’. Apparently the most depressing day of the year, when a combination of holiday aftermath, worry over debt, failed New Year’s resolutions and a general lack of motivation all conspire to undermine our sense of purpose and well-being!

Perhaps then, this is a good time to think about how engaged we really are at work. Looking around we see everyone at their posts, but is everybody really there?

Why Not Give a ‘Gift of Time’ this Christmas?

So what’s on the kid’s Christmas wish list this year? The latest Wii, Ipod, mobile phone, notebook, bike or top designer gear? Or maybe they have all those already and it’s a struggle to find something different or special?

Resilient and Resourceful Young People – An Australian National Youth Strategy?

Australia may do well to learn from the UK’s experience of how a National Youth Strategy can become an instrument promoting social inclusion and promote well being and resilience in young people.

There is increasing global awareness of the need to improve life chances for all young people. Life chances relate to having autonomy, engaging in positive social and community networks, accessing education and employment opportunities, being economically stable, experiencing health and well-being and living in a safe environment.

Where There’s Hope There’s Flourishing Young People

Evidence based coaching programmes, underpinned by the principles of positive psychology, should be embraced by policy makers to support youth services.

Just last week, Kate Ellis, Minister for youth, hinted at some early findings of the upcoming “The State of Australia’s Young People Report” indicating that up to 1 in 4 young people suffer from problems relating to mental health.

In the UK earlier this year the Prince’s Trust published a report also highlighting that one in four young people are unhappy; one in ten feel that life is not worth living and that life has no purpose. These shocking figures are significantly worse for ‘hard to reach’ young people not in education, employment or training.