Survey result urges better policy for a positive ripple effect

Fears about the future and finances are among the most common negative influences on young people’s mental health, according to a new survey of almost six hundred young Australians.

There were 209 respondents in Victoria who reported the same threats and protective factors as the rest of the nation, and Prevention United – a national charity specialising in the promotion of mental wellbeing and the prevention of mental health conditions – says the result shows that policies addressing those risks could benefit all young Australians.

The survey, Be Part Of The Ripple, Listening to the voices that matter!, was designed by young people, and asked Australians aged between 16 and 25 to identify the biggest threats to their mental health and the optimum approaches to promoting good mental health.

The top three influences that benefited their mental health were friends, a good night’s sleep, and music and the arts.

The top three negative influences were fears about the future, finances, and loneliness.

Prevention United’s community engagement lead Matilda Houlihan said the survey, which had its results released last month, had been designed by young people for young people, and found that across the country, respondents had similar ways they promoted their own good mental health.

“The survey results reveal young people’s good mental health is dependent on their sense of personal power and having their opinions heard when developing policies that make a difference in the world,” she said.

“Removing that sense of control and power has a negative impact.”

Ms Houlihan said young people wanted the government to effectively engage with them to define the problems affecting youth mental health and come up with solutions that stop mental health conditions developing in the first place.

“The young people surveyed all felt that they were not being listened to and are disappointed with the government’s approach to youth mental health.

“The key measures young people said they are looking for are those that keep rent and housing affordable, support young people with the cost of living and invest in mental health promotion and prevention.”

Youth Advisory Group member Em Howells, 21, said young people were very engaged in mental health, often more so than parents and teachers realised.

“When creating policies, you need to work with young people to see whether they actually agree with it and whether it would work for them.”

Prevention United is calling on the Federal Government to support two initiatives that reduce the risks to young people’s mental health and better protect them.

The first of these is increasing dedicated spending on mental health promotion and prevention of mental ill health to five per cent of the mental health budget, an increase from the present figure of one per cent.

The organisation also wants a National Centre for Youth Wellbeing to lead and co-ordinate Australia’s approach to youth mental health promotion, manage a Youth Wellbeing Grants Scheme and help government identify programs with the potential to promote and protect young people’s mental wellbeing and reduce the number of young people experiencing mental health difficulties.

For more information, head to preventionunited.org.au/advocacy/policy-brief-ands-submissions.

If you or someone you know needs help, phone Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14, headspace on 1800 650 890 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.