Teen Worry and Sadness Program

Young people from 12-17 years old who have either:

a) been diagnosed as having anxiety and/or depression and would benefit from treatment, or
b) started to experience worry and/or sadness to the degree that is it troubling them or affecting their life and would benefit from learning strategies to feel better

This program can benefit both young people who have never done CBT before, and young people who have done or are currently doing CBT and would like a refresher of the tools.

Parents or carers of young people will also benefit from information about the CBT tools their child is learning throughout the program as well as practical suggestions for how they can support them.

Young people aged 16-17 years have the option of doing either Teen Worry and Sadness Program or the Adult Mixed Depression and Anxiety Program, if supervised by a clinician.

There are a few things to consider in determining which program might be more suitable.  
Please note: these are general guidelines only and that a mental health professional who knows the adolescent can help with decision-making. 

The Teen Worry and Sadness Program is targeted toward young people from age 12-17 and targets symptoms of anxiety and low mood.

The characters in the animation are adolescents and may be more relatable for younger adolescents. The Teen Worry and Sadness Program has an Information and Guide for Parents/Carers accompanying each lesson that summarises the skills the young person has learned, with practical suggestions for parents/carers on how they can help.  

The rest of our program range was written for adults, and would more likely benefit older and more mature adolescents who are self-motivated and need less input from adults. Additionally, though the Teen Worry and Sadness Program covers strategies for anxiety, it teaches more general strategies for anxiety rather than a specific kind of anxiety. If a young person would benefit specifically from a Depression program, or one of our programs geared towards a particular anxiety disorder (e.g. Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Health Anxiety etc.), then this may be more suitable.  

There is no right or wrong answer. We have the flexibility to allow the young person to switch to another program if they start one, but think that another one would be more appropriate.

This program is self-paced, but is designed to be completed within 3 months. It is best to do one lesson every week or two to allow time to practice between lessons.

When you complete the program in 3 months, you will be given another 12 months access to help you practice your new skills and progress further.

Please note, there is a 5-day lockout period between lessons to encourage the revision of material and to give you enough time to practice the skills you have learned.

This program is free to enrol into under the guidance of a clinician.

This program is only available for enrolment under clinician supervision. This clinician would be someone who knows you, the young person, such as your GP or another mental health professional.

We encourage young people, their parents/carers and clinician to discuss what kind of support will be most beneficial to the young person as they complete this program. Before starting the program, we recommend that you and your parent/carer discuss with your clinician how you can make contact if you have questions or concerns as you proceed though the lessons. 

The parent/carer will receive an information guide with each lesson the young person does. This guide will summarise the skills taught, along with ideas for how the parent/carer can support the young person.

The young person will benefit more from this program with support from both their parent/carer and clinician. The clinician can help the young person to apply the skills covered in the program.

You (the young person) can access this program if your clinician is registered with THIS WAY UP and prescribes this program to your parent/carer by e-mailing your parent/carer a personalised registration link called a “Quickscript” using our secure online system.

Here’s how to discuss this option with your health professional:

Step 1.

Make an appointment with your clinician (e.g., your GP, Medical Specialist, Psychologist or other Allied Health Professional).

Step 2.

Download, print, and take the Clinician Letter to your appointment. This letter outlines some information about how your clinician can register with THIS WAY UP and prescribe our program using our online system.

Please note that with the Teen Worry and Sadness Program, the clinician must prescribe the program to the parent/carer’s email address. The parent/carer can begin the registration process by clicking the link included in the prescription email that they receive from THIS WAY UP. Following Step 3 of parent/carer registration, the young person’s details will be requested in order to create an account for the young person.

Step 3.

Ask your clinician if they are familiar with THIS WAY UP and tell them about the program you’d like to do.

If your clinician is new to THIS WAY UP, they may need some time to register and get to know our system, so you may not be able to get a program prescription right away.

If your clinician is able to prescribe and monitor you, the young person, throughout the program, they will send your parent/carer a ‘prescription’ e-mail called a “Quickscript” via our system with details on how to enrol.

Please note, it is up to individual clinicians to decide whether it is appropriate for them to prescribe and monitor you through one of our programs. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that your clinician will be able to assist you.