In her monthly column, Dr Jan Orman from the Black Dog Institute is providing reliable evidence-based Australian online resources for mental healthcare. In this month’s column Dr Orman looks at BITEBACK – www.biteback.org.au
The BITEBACK website from Black Dog Institute is a positive psychology-based website designed for young people between the ages of 13 and 18 (though many older people have used and benefitted from its contents).
BITEBACK is helpful for young people who are struggling, teaching them emotional survival skills like mindfulness and gratitude using creative techniques that keep them interested and engaged.
One of the great features of the BITEBACK site is its 6 Week Mental Fitness Challenge which provides a structured way for young people to build their resilience. Week by week it focusses on things like gratitude, identifying personal strengths, learning mindfulness skills and making social connections. At the end of the program the site develops a downloadable wellbeing plan based on the user’s activity in the program. It’s free, fun and anonymous and to my mind is potentially helpful for lots of people – not just teenagers.