Young people living in regional and remote Australia are being let down by a lack of support services to tackle their mental health needs.
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Mission Australia and ReachOut recently released the report Lifting the weight: understanding young people’s mental health and service needs in regional and remote Australia. The report found almost one in four young people in regional and remote Australia had a probable serious mental illness.
While the findings showed the prevalence of mental health disorders is similar for people living in and outside of a major city, research has shown the risk of suicide rises as distance from a major city increases. This indicates that young people living in regional and remote areas may be exposed to a unique set of structural, economic and social factors that result in poorer mental health outcomes.
I continue to be concerned by the number of young people who raise mental health as an issue in Mission Australia’s annual Youth Survey. So much occurs during the teenage years – the demands of schoolwork, the growing importance of friendships, financial pressures, getting a job – it must be overwhelming at times and those feelings can spiral out of control. This is especially true for those who face additional challenges such as home and family instability or issues such as substance addiction.
On a positive note, young people appear to be very aware of mental health issues and are asking for change. We must support them and provide the services they need in order to flourish into adulthood.