New data reveals that more than half of the young Australians who saw The Brain, during a beyondblue campaign last year, are now more likely to talk to a friend when they are struggling with problems.

It’s back-to-school-time, and amidst the challenges of new classes and making friends, beyondblue is encouraging young people and their parents to get to know beyondblue’s ‘The Brain’ character.

Launched last May, the campaign encouraged teenagers to take action against depression and anxiety. In eight months, The Brain campaign reached nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 17 through social media, websites and apps.

“As many as one in five school-aged teenagers experience mental health problems and tragically, suicide remains the biggest killer of young Australians every year,” said beyondblue CEO Georgie Harman.

“Too many young people resist speaking up when they’re struggling because they’re worried about how others will perceive them. This campaign aimed to show teenagers that experiencing depression or anxiety doesn’t mean they are weak or weird, it simply means that their ‘brain’ is giving them a hard time.”

Since the campaign was launched, the average number of visitors to www.youthbeyondblue.com has more than doubled, and around 65,000 teens have completed the quiz.

“It’s encouraging that more teenagers feel comfortable reaching out to a mate since meeting the brain, but we need to keep pushing this message. As students return to school, we hope young people (and those around them) will make good mental health a priority,” says Georgie.