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Adolescents with harmful sexual behaviors (AHSB) who drop out of treatment are more likely to continue offending than are those who complete treatment; therefore, it is important to identify factors that heighten the risk of dropout, so they can be detected early. The purpose of this paper is to present the predictors of treatment dropout derived from a community sample of AHSB in New Zealand.

Pretreatment data on 100 males (aged 12–16) in community-based treatment for harmful sexual behavior were analyzed. Data on 50 adolescents who dropped out were matched by age and ethnicity to 50 adolescents who completed treatment. Pretreatment variables were identified using the Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offence Recidivism. The degree to which these variables influenced treatment dropout was tested using logistic regression.

Compared to those who completed treatment, adolescents who dropped out were more likely to have a prior history of personal victimization, to deny or minimize their behavior, to have been mandated to attend treatment and to have engaged in noncontact offences.

Screening for a prior history of personal victimization, denial or minimization, mandated treatment and noncontact offences may facilitate the prediction of dropout risk more confidently. Addressing these pretreatment risk variables has the potential to improve treatment completion rates.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to highlight treatment dropout predictors in a New Zealand community sample.

A notable number of young people self-harm, with only a minority receiving professional support. Evidence suggests that therapy can help recovery from self-harm, but little is known about the experiences of those who self-harm and participate in therapy delivered via videoconferencing.

Risk assessments were examined for evidence of self-harm and used to identify two groups for analysis: young people who had self-harmed in the past six months and those who had not. A mixed methods analysis was then conducted to examine process and outcome data for these two groups. Data included a number of sessions attended, late-cancelled and missed without notice; and patient-reported outcome measure scores (Young Person-Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation and Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale). End-of-treatment reports were subsequently analysed using thematic analysis.

Those with current self-harm risk appeared to start therapy with lower well-being. No notable differences in progress were found between groups on quantitative outcomes. There was greater reporting of poorer clinical outcomes in the reports of those with current self-harm risk, including two unique types of barriers to effective therapy: “general difficulties” (e.g. poor well-being limiting engagement, specific components of therapy being challenging) and “CBT was not preferred”.

Lower baseline well-being could explain the greater ongoing care needs and lower well-being post-therapy among those with current self-harm risk, despite both groups appearing to make similar levels of therapeutic progress quantitatively. Recent self-harm does not appear to reduce the utility of videoconferencing cognitive behavioural therapy; however, clients’ individual needs should be carefully considered.

Depression and anxiety are common mental health issues among young adults, particularly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research indicates a notable increase in global prevalence rates, especially in this demographic. Despite their prevalence, factors like stigma, cost and limited accessibility often prevent individuals from seeking professional help. Therefore, there is a pressing need for innovative and accessible interventions to address these challenges. help. Therefore, there is a pressing need for innovative and accessible interventions to address these challenges. This study aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of newly developed “AKBAY” self-help intervention workbook among university students in managing the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Using a pilot study with a single-group design. A total of 33 university students voluntarily participated in the study. The primary outcomes, depressive symptoms and anxiety were measured using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, respectively, at both pre-intervention and post-intervention (eight weeks following the preintervention assessment).

Results from Wilcoxon signed rank revealed significant reductions in both depression and anxiety symptoms following the intervention. Qualitative feedback from participants highlighted the perceived benefits of the intervention, including increased self-awareness, improved coping strategies and personal growth. All participants expressed intent to recommend the intervention to others.

However, further research using larger sample sizes, randomized controlled trials and long-term follow-up assessments is warranted to validate these findings and enhance intervention effectiveness.

These findings highlight the potential feasibility and acceptability of self-help interventions in reducing and preventing the worsening of symptoms of depression and anxiety among Filipino young adults.

The “AKBAY” intervention presents a feasible and accessible approach to reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety of Filipino young adults as well as the program’s potential usefulness. The findings of this study can serve as a foundation for a randomized controlled trial of the AKBAY self-help intervention.

The term recovery is an abstract concept. It differs for each and every person regardless of race, sexual orientation, culture or belief system. Throughout the age of modern medicine, doctors and scholars have tried to understand the concept of recovery for those in mental distress and those who are in the process of addiction. This chapter aims to highlight the different understandings of the concept of recovery from both a mental health and addiction perspective in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of the processes of recovery and how its definition and qualities have changed over time as new and more compelling clinical evidence emerges.

This, the first chapter of this text provides an introduction to a social world that is constructed through cultural attitudes, with a long history of the so-called ‘insane’ or deviants being excluded from society. In many cases, this was due to their behaviour resulting from an addiction issue, mental ill health or as is often the case, both. The chapter begins with an introduction to what led to the conceptualisation of this text. Once this occurs, the interplay between the ‘normal’ and the deviant, as discussed above, is played through an examination of the cultural perceptions of both mental health and addiction. In addition, to support this, a brief historical timeline of mental health, addiction and dual diagnosis is described and visually depicted. Finally, the chapter concludes with an introduction to both editors of this text who then describe what will be discussed in the chapters that follow.

In this chapter, the authors argue that technology can be advantageous to children and young people’s mental health. The authors argue that social media platforms can foster social connection, social support and access to important information to support mental health. The authors also highlight the risks, particularly the research which links technology to mental ill-health. The authors argue that the digital curriculum in schools should develop young people’s knowledge of digital literacy, digital citizenship and digital resilience. Finally, the authors explore the potential role that technological applications (apps) can play in supporting children and young people’s mental health. The authors argue that although research is in its infancy, some studies have produced promising results.