Home' Parents Guide : A parents guide to anxiety and depression in young Contents GET SUPPORT
WHEN SHOULD I BE WORRIED?
SUPPORT FROM HEALTH
USEFUL LINKS AND CONTACTS
WHAT IS ANXIETY?
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
SUPPORTING A YOUNG PERSON
LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF
AND YOUR FAMILY
WHY DO PEOPLE DEVELOP
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION?
If the young person does not want you to know about their treatment then it is important
to respect their privacy and provide positive feedback about their decision to seek help.
• Remind the young person that you are there to help so you would appreciate
some ideas from them about how you can do this.
• Reassure them that you do not want to know the details of their conversations
but would like to know more about who is helping them and perhaps some feedback
about how you can be more helpful at home.
• Consider asking for a joint meeting with the health professional so that ever yone is
clear on what to expect, what the focus of treatment is, how communication works
and how you may or may not be involved with the sessions – reiterating that you do not
want to know the content of their sessions, unless they want to tell you. Often young
people are hesitant to have parents involved initially but as the sessions progress they
may request for their parents to get involved so they can address issues together.
• Talk to the young person about your concerns and why you feel it is important that
you talk with their health professional. Request to meet with the health professional
with the young person present if that is what they prefer. Again, explain that you are
not seeking information but instead trying to ensure the health professional is well
informed. If you are unable to meet with them then a phone call to express your
concerns might be helpful. A strong relationship is built on trust so if you contact the
health professional then it is important to talk with the young person about what you
have said and why.
• Ask whether they have some written information or websites that you can review to
better understand what is going on for them and how you can help.
There will probably be times when a young person calls on others for suppor t and does
not involve parents directly. This can be difficult to accept as a parent but it is also an
important par t of young people developing their skills as responsible independent adults;
making their own decisions about their health and wellbeing. It can be hard to find the
right balance – showing your love and care while also respecting their privacy, however
having regular open conversations with the young person about your concerns offers the
best chance for shared understanding.
Our GP was terrific and kept me informed as
much as she could. She was able often to convince my
daughter to do something and then agree for me to be
Confidentiality and Medicare
There are many health ser vices available for young people, including doctors and mental
health practitioners that young people can access through the Medicare system. These
ser vices are free or par tly paid for by the government. Useful links and contacts outlines
how to find these ser vices.
Young people need access to their Medicare card or the number on the family card to
ensure they have easy access to health ser vices.
In terms of confidentiality:
• If a young person is under 14 years parents will be able to see what ser vices the
young person has used, and when and who is offering the ser vice by reviewing
their Medicare claims histor y. This does not outline the content of the sessions.
• If a young person is older than 14 years parents will be able to see the ser vice that the
young person has accessed and when, but it does not show bulk billing claims or any
details of the ser vice.
• Young people aged 15 or older can have their own Medicare card. It is a simple
process requiring them to fill out a Medicare Copy/Transfer Application form at www.
humanser vices.gov.au/customer/forms/3170 and attend a Medicare or DHS Ser vice
Centre with identification (birth cer tificate, student id, passpor t, etc.). Having their
own card means that the information about their use of Medicare services
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