The number of young Australians who say mental health is the top issue facing the country has risen to more than 40 per cent in the past year, according to Mission Australia’s latest Youth Survey.
The survey showed that some 43 per cent of the more than 28,000 young people aged between 15 and 19 who responded to the survey identified mental health as the top issue facing Australia today, up from 33 per cent in 2017 and double the percentage in 2016. Some 29 per cent identified alcohol and drugs as the most important issue and 23 per cent identified equity and discrimination.
Source: Mission Australia.
The top three personal concerns identified in the study included coping with stress (43 per cent), school or study problems (34 per cent) and mental health (31 per cent).
James Toomey, CEO of Mission Australia, said the survey showed it was time to listen to young people’s concerns around mental health.
While acknowledging the success of work aimed at raising public awareness of mental health issues and reducing the stigma attached to it, he said there was also a need to ensure “that awareness is matched with adequate access to the right help when needed”.
“Whatever a young person’s background or circumstances, we know that access to appropriate and timely support can make a real difference in their lives. Unfortunately, we also know that help is not always there. The service system is difficult to navigate and the support offered can be patchy, especially outside of metro areas, and often not tailored to the needs of young people and their help-seeking preferences. This has to be tackled as a priority.”
He said Mission Australia also wanted to see “investment in evidence-based programs that promote mental health and wellbeing in schools and holistic supports for young people that meet a range of needs during adolescence, including assistance with school or study problems and coping with stress”.
Looking at the issue from the first time this year, the survey also found that young people identified the top three barriers to finding work as school responsibilities (20 per cent), a lack of skills or experience (15 per cent) and a lack of jobs (12 per cent).
The top three barriers to moving out of home identified by survey respondents, meanwhile, included the cost of housing (70 per cent), financial stability (63 per cent) and housing availability (42 per cent).
