The Guidelines are intended as a resource for health professionals and others working with young people aged between 13 and 24 years. Summary resources and companion documents for young people, their families and carers, and for specific groups of health professionals, will be derived from this core document.

The Guidelines summarise published evidence based on high quality research and make recommendations on key areas of care. Across the continuum of care, there are areas where it is not possible to make evidencebased recommendations, particularly for young adults. In areas for which there is insufficient research evidence for recommendations, the Guidelines include good practice points that are based on lower quality evidence, international guideline documents (e.g. the United Kingdom [UK] National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists) and/or best practice clinical judgement. This approach was strongly supported by consumers and health professionals during the public consultation process held in March–May 2010.

The Guidelines were revised extensively after public consultation and have benefited greatly from the thoughtful contributions of a wide range of health professionals, consumers and carers at workshops and through written submissions. The Expert Working Committee acknowledges that further research is required across all areas of care for adolescents and young adults experiencing depression and depressive symptoms. Further, treatment research looking at specific at-risk groups is lacking, as is research in clinical service settings as opposed to more traditional research models. The Expert Working Committee strongly advocates further research investment to address these deficiencies.

The Guidelines are relevant to the work of a variety of professionals in many different settings. Individual use of the Guidelines will depend on the knowledge and skills of the professional involved. Young people and their families and carers should be at the centre of care, wherever it is provided.

The Guidelines will be implemented within the context of existing and emerging activity at national, jurisdictional and local levels, including the whole-of-government approach to mental health embedded within the National Mental Health Strategy. Evaluation of the Guidelines will assess their contribution to changes in practice and potentially to health outcomes.

The Expert Working Committee recognises that implementing the recommendations will have resource implications,particularly in the area of training for the recommended psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy. It is hoped that implementation of the Guidelines will lead to discussions between governments, universities and professional organisations about an appropriate focus on and access to psychological therapy training and supervision.