Andrea Reupert

Background: Emerging adults aged 18–25 years who have a parent with mental illness face increased risks to their mental health and wellbeing, yet few interventions are tailored to their support needs. Compassion-based approaches may be relevant, yet little is known about whether this group perceives therapy topics informed by these approaches as helpful or how they would prioritise them. This study identified and prioritised compassion-informed therapy topics that emerging adults with lived experience perceived as helpful. Methods: A two-round modified Delphi study was conducted with emerging adults aged 18–25 years living in Australia who were raised by a parent with mental illness and/or substance misuse concerns. In Round 1 (n = 25), participants rated eight topics informed by Compassion-Focused Therapy and Mindful Self-Compassion and provided open-text feedback, which was analysed using content analysis, and informed six additional topics. In Round 2 (n = 15), participants rated the additional topics and ranked the original eight by perceived helpfulness. Consensus was defined as ≥80% agreement. Results: Eleven of 14 candidate topics achieved consensus, with healthy relationships and reducing self-criticism among the highest-priority topics. Endorsed topics spanned three areas: (i) relationships, caring and responsibility; (ii) self-criticism and self-compassion; and (iii) understanding and responding to internal experiences. Conclusions: Emerging adults who have a parent with parental mental illness perceived a range of compassion-informed therapy topics as helpful for addressing their support needs. These findings may inform content selection for a tailored intervention for this at-risk group. Endorsement patterns further suggest that therapy content may be perceived as more helpful when it is linked to recognizable personal experiences and concrete ways of responding.

Young carers under the age of 18 years provide informal care for family members with a disability, physical or mental illness, or substance misuse issue in addition to a managing their schoolwork and other responsibilities. Caring responsibilities may negatively impact their wellbeing and educational and social opportunities. Although schools are essential in shaping the educational experiences of young carers, there is a lack of awareness about them and their needs as a distinct group, along with insufficient support from teachers and school staff. The overall aim of this qualitative systematic review was to explore the experiences of young carers in school settings from the perspective of the young carer and the views of their parents and school staff. Following a systematic search process, 17 peer-reviewed, qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings highlight the dual nature of schools in young carers’ lives, offering support and stability while also posing challenges involving stigma, bullying, and inconsistent and reactive school support. Fear of judgement often prevented young carers from disclosing their caring role to others. Schools should implement proactive policies, including staff training, peer support, and flexible learning, and balance high expectations with empathy to ensure that young carers are recognized and supported.

This qualitative study explores how Australian teachers experience relational trust in their everyday school relationships, how these experiences influence their wellbeing (if at all), and the factors that they describe as fostering or hindering trust. Guided by a social capital lens, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 teachers, and the data were thematically analysed. The findings show that when relational trust was strong, namely the confidence teachers have in their colleagues and leaders, teachers were more likely to feel safe, supported, valued, and secure in their roles. Trust was fostered in school environments that were calm, consistent, and predictable, with clear expectations, processes, values, and authentic collegial relationships. Conversely, teachers’ experiences of isolation, exclusion, inadequate support from school leaders, and limited opportunities for decision-making diminished trust, weakened social capital, and undermined wellbeing. Drawing on teachers’ voices, this study adds to the wellbeing literature by demonstrating how relational trust can serve as a foundation for promoting teacher wellbeing in the Australian context.

Young people with a parent who has a mental health or substance use challenge are at risk of acquiring their own mental health issues. Online interventions present a potentially accessible, effective form of support for this group of young people. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the characteristics of online interventions designed for this cohort, identify change mechanisms, and evaluate their impact. A mixed-methods approach was employed. Search terms, related to online interventions, children, and parental mental illness or substance use, were used across five databases. Every abstract was screened by two authors. Data were extracted by one author and checked by another. Identified studies were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, with data synthesised using a narrative synthesis approach. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Six studies evaluating four interventions were identified, primarily focusing on prevention and targeting young people aged 12–25. Interventions promoted change through the provision of psychoeducation, anonymity, and peer support. Outcomes across mental health, help seeking and coping varied. Limitations included low participant completion rates, lack of generalisability, and selection bias. There is a need to better articulate theoretical frameworks, increase male participation, and extend reach to those experiencing mental illness or distress when developing online interventions for young people whose parents have mental health or substance use challenges.