AUSTRALIAN ADOLESCENTS' STIGMATISING ATTITUDES TOW PEERS EXPERIENCING ALCOHOL PROBLEMS: INFLUENCES ON HELP-SEEKING INTENTIONS AND BEHAVIOUR

• Stigma has been identified as one of the most prominent barriers to seeking help for mental health problems during adolescence (Gulliver et al., 2010) • While studies have examined Australian adolescents’ stigmatizing attitudes towards depression, less is known about attitudes towards alcohol abuse, or how alcohol-related stigma influences young people’s willingness to help their peers. • This is despite evidence from the adult literature that alcohol use disorders are more severely stigmatised than other (substance-unrelated) mental health conditions (Schomerus et al., 2011). • A better understanding of stigmatising attitudes during adolescence will help inform interventions that aim to facilitate appropriate help-seeking and improve the quality of help that young people provide to their peers.