BITE BACK: An Online Positive Psychology Program for Young People
BITE BACK is the very first online positive psychology program aimed at improving the overall wellbeing and happiness of young Australians between the ages of 12 and 18 years, with particular emphasis on 14-16 year-olds. Key objectives of this program are to encourage young people to work to their full potential, become more engaged in all aspects of their lives and, ultimately, to build resilience.
A collaborative team of psychologists, young people and digital media specialists created the online content. Young people were consulted throughout all phases of the project, from conceptualisation through to design and distribution. As this is the first program of its kind, youth ownership and feedback has been integral to the success of BITE BACK.
The program contains interactive self-help activities, quizzes, blogs, interactive forums, stories and videos relating to a range positive psychology domains, as well as information about various mental health topics, with particular focus on those based on wellbeing and flourishing. The site also provides an interactive environment for young people to build community networks and find out more about youth-relevant issues.
Online interactive exercises are designed to encourage generalisability to the ‘real world’, so that young people benefit maximally as they implement the central tenets of positive psychology in their daily lives, learning how to adapt and flourish within a range of everyday, potentially stressful, situations. Users are given the tools to monitor their progress and to derive support and encouragement from other users. Through regular engagement, BITE BACK intends to improve the wellbeing of young users on a range of indices correlated with optimal mental health, including: building social connectedness, learning to think more optimistically, understanding the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, becoming more appreciative of what is around them, and recognising their character strengths.
For further information contact BITE BACK via their website.
Gerhard is a full professor of Clinical Psychology at Linköping University, Sweden since 2003, an
d affiliated researcher at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Professor Andersson is an internationally recognized researcher in the field of CBT delivered through information and communication technology, as well as the author of the book “The Internet and CBT: a clinical guide”.
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