Young people reckon mental health is one of the top three issues facing our fair ‘Straya.
A national survey into what 15 to 19-year-olds reckon are the biggest concerns of the country shows that after ‘alcohol and drugs’ and ‘equality and discrimination’, mental health is the largest concern keeping us up at night.
Around 22,000 young people took part in the annual Mission Australia Youth Survey and more than 20% cited mental health as among their top national issues; a figure Mission Australia‘s chief exec Catherine Yeomans says is the highest in the survey’s 15-year history.
“If young people are telling us that they think this is one of the top three concerns facing the nation, then we should sit up and pay attention and we should think about whether we’ve got the right responses in place,” she said.
“Let’s look at the issues that [we] are facing right across the country and put in programs that are going to support young people.”
Interestingly, young women surveyed were twice as likely to consider mental health a national concern compared to the majority of young blokes who rated ‘international relations’ as the 3rd biggest issue. Whether that proves young men aren’t as demonstrative with their feelings or if girls are more at-risk, is unclear.
The results aren’t all that surprising, considering youth suicide rates are currently the highest they’ve been in 10 years. Hopefully the survey’s telling results will encourage broader discussion around ways to combat mental health issues among the youth.
“I think it’s incumbent on us to think about how we better target our mental health programs, so they are reaching more young people in a consistent and coordinated way,” said Yeomans.
She also warned against dismissing youngins’ concerns as teenage angst.
“I think we do that at our peril,” she said. “It’s a high pressure time for a young person and it’s incumbent on us to help young people to navigate that period of their lives safely.”
To contact the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia call their national helpline on 1800 985 944. To reach SANE, a national charity helping Aussies affected by mental illness lead a better life, call their helpline on 1800 187 263. If you or someone else needs support in a crisis situation please holla at Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you or someone else is in an emergency situation, call 000.
Source: ABC.
Photo: Crazy / Beautiful.
