• One in seven Australian young people are affected by a mental disorder.
• Mental illness in young people can affect core areas such as education, achievement, relationships, and occupational success.
• A Headspace report conducted during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic found approximately one in three young people experienced high levels of psychological distress. In Victoria, there was a 72% increase in 2020 of the number of serious self-harm and suicidal ideation presentations in emergency departments for young people, and an increase of 23% of mental health concerns presented in emergency departments compared with the previous year.
• Stigma towards mental illness, and a lack of mental health education, present a barrier to youth seeking help for mental health problems. However, research suggests that young people want to learn about mental health and coping strategies in school.
• Mental health encompasses more than mental illness; it includes educating people on how to nurture mental wellbeing, and seek help if necessary.
• The World Health Organisation states: “Mental health is a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”
• In this sense, mental health collectively includes prevention, promotion, and treatment. Until recently, mental health has followed a medical model, mostly associated with illness and treatment, rather than prevention and promotion.

• the prevalence and impact of mental health issues in Australia represents a genuine health crisis that affects large sections of the population. In 2011, mental health issues were Australia’s third highest burden of disease, accounting for 12 percent of the total burden;
• almost half of the Australian population will experience a mental health issue during their lifetime and one in five Australians have experienced a mental health condition in the past 12 months; and
• mental health issues are estimated to cost the Australian economy up to $60 billion annually in health care, lost productivity and many other direct and indirect costs.

On the Line recommends grass roots community-based initiatives that help equip the population with resilience, coping skills and protective factors to help prevent, address and self-manage mental health issues where practical. Efforts are needed to increase the skills of Australians in coping, resilience, creating and sustaining social networks and teaching people how they can better support the people they care about.