COVID-19 and environment top list of concerns for youth

THE COVID-19 pandemic, the environment, equity and discrimination and mental health are the top issues facing young Victorians, according to the latest Mission Australia Youth Survey.

The 20th edition of the annual survey asked 4,601 people aged 15-19 for their views between April and August this year, and released its report earlier this month.

This is the second time COVID-19 was the most important national issue for young people from Victoria, with the percentage of young people who nominated it as the top issue of concern lifting from 41.9 percent to 48.3 per cent.

The other top issues were the environment (43 per cent), equity and discrimination (37.2 per cent) and mental health (37.2 per cent).

Survey responses reveal the pandemic and associated public health responses had a negative effect on young people’s health, wellbeing and education in 2021.

The top three areas Victorian young people identified as being negatively affected by COVID-19 were participation in activities (78.4 per cent), education (77.7 per cent) and mental health (68.9 per cent).

A notably higher proportion of Victorian females identified their mental health was negatively affected by COVID-19 (76.3 per cent compared with 54.8 per cent of males).

Compared with all respondents nationally, Victorian young people experienced greater negative affects of COVID-19 across almost all areas.

“Young people are showing they’re aware of and care about social and personal issues affecting themselves, their peers and their country,” Mission Australia’s state director Michele Leonard said.

“Listening to and acting on these crucial insights has always been vital and is now more pressing than ever as we round out our second year of COVID-19 pandemic challenges.

“Now is a critical time to make sure young people are heard. Young people can and should create and advise on solutions that will address issues that affect them, other young people, and Australia.

“The Youth Survey is just one way of capturing the voices of young people, but they are telling us that they want to feel heard in political and decision-making processes.

“These responses are given in the context of a national and international events such as COVID-19 lockdowns and outbreak responses, climate change campaigns, extreme weather events such as bushfires, drought and floods, and the Black Lives Matter movement.”

This year has seen more extensive disruptions to young people’s education and job prospects.

A smaller proportion of young people were studying full-time in 2021 (86.7 per cent) than in 2020 (88.8 per cent), with mental health (54.1 per cent), academic ability (41.8 per cent) and COVID-19 (38.9 per cent) identified as the top three barriers affecting young people’s achievement of study or work goals.

The results of the Youth Survey are shared with governments, non-government organisations, schools and the media to inform the debate around the circumstances of young people in Australia and to support the development of policies, services and programs that have the needs of young people at their core.

To read the full report, head to the Mission Australia website.