Mental health issues are now one of the three leading subjects of concern for Australian teenagers, according to Mission Australia’s 15th annual youth survey, released this week.
Concerns about mental health, registered by 20.6% of the 21,846 respondents to the online survey joined the other main issues of concern, alcohol and drugs (28.7%), and discrimination and equity (27%).
“Physical and mental health are critical to the wellbeing of young people, their ability to pursue future ambitions and to successfully navigate their transition into adulthood,” the report on the 2016 survey noted.
“It is important that young people have access to age-appropriate physical and mental health services and that they have the opportunity to participate in health-promoting activities such as sports.”
Mission Australia CEO Catherine Yeomans said, “It concerns me that mental health continues to grow as an issue of concern for Australia. There are some wonderful youth mental health programs and a range of support services.
“We must ensure these continue to be funded, adequately supported and accessible.
“It is imperative that we provide appropriate and timely supports for young people across a continuum of needs. The old adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ is key when we consider the issues that young people face, especially in terms of mental health issues, as they commonly occur during this developmental period.”
Pro Bono Australia News reported Catherine Yeomans calling the feedback a ‘wake up call’ from Australia’s youth: “This [mental health] is the one that really I think we have to pay attention to because this has doubled since 2011 in terms of the number of responses identifying this as a top issue of national concern.”
