TikTok star Jasmine TXO tackles student mental health crisis.
A social media influencer has opened up about her latest campaign and why it is so important to so many. FULL REPORT
Education
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A Melbourne TikTok star is spearheading a revolutionary program designed to help fix a growing mental health crisis in schools.
Jasmine TXO, who boasts close to six million followers on the video-led social media platform, is presenting a new education program Decode Mental Health and Wellbeing in schools across Victoria.
Decode, run by digital studio Matterworks and delivered in partnership with Education Perfect, is aimed at students from Year 5 to Year 8.
The online program uses leading content creators, such as Jasmine, activists and sportspeople, to engage students and teachers in educational discussions on topics of mental health.
It comes as recent research from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute shows there is a significant mental health problem in schools, with 63 per cent of children aged 5 to 14 years experiencing a worsening of their mental health since returning to school post-Covid.
Jasmine, who prefers to use only her first name, has been creating fun and engaging content, including dance videos, vlogs and skits, for more than six years.
The 24-year-old grew up in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
“All (of my content) has the purpose of spreading smiles and uplifting the people it reaches,” she said.
“My online community is an inclusive space and one where I always want young people from all walks of life to feel seen, heard and loved and I feel so privileged to play even a small part in positively impacting someone’s day.”
Jasmine said she was “so excited” when she was given the opportunity to host the program.
“I am a strong advocate for mental health and always want to know that young people feel loved, supported and included,” she said.
“Similarly to many young people, I know what it’s like to experience mental health struggles whilst in school, which can often leave you feeling alone or isolated.
“So I think Decode is an incredible way to help start the tough conversations around mental health in a way that isn’t scary or daunting, but normalises the topic and gets young people talking about mental health and feeling less alone in any struggles they may be experiencing.”
Each video episode covers topics such as how to talk about mental health, understanding how the brain develops during puberty, building resilience to move past adversity and creating safe spaces to discuss sensitive topics.
Decode also offers a program for teachers which guides them through different facets of adolescent mental health and how to best support them.
This includes understanding moods and behaviours in adolescents, recognising and understanding trauma, how to manage cyber-bullying and how to create a gender inclusive school environment.
The program is powered by research from Raising Children’s Network and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Murdoch Children’s Group Leader Professor Harriet Hiscock said schools are currently facing a “mental health crisis”.
“14 per cent of 4 to 17-year old’s are living with a diagnosable mental health condition,” she said.
“It’s critical to start the process of building student’s mental health literacy from a young age so they feel armed with knowledge and tools to build resilience.”
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