Youth Survey 2023: Great Southern youth concerned about mental health on a personal level as 1 in 4 distressed

About one in four Great Southern youths are classified as having high psychological distress, according to the results of a recently released national youth survey. About 19,000 young people aged 15-19 participated in Mission Australia’s Youth Survey Report 2023, which provides a snapshot of the experiences and perspectives of Australian youth on a range of topics. Mental health was the biggest issue personally facing young people in the Great Southern with about a third of respondents saying they were extremely or very concerned about mental health (37 per cent) and coping with stress (36 per cent). About one in four was classified as having high psychological distress and one in five said they were lonely most or all of the time. Mental health also ranked as the second biggest personal challenge facing Great Southern youth and as the leading cause of discrimination, which 31 per cent of respondents said they had experienced in the past year. When asked what they thought were the biggest issues facing the country today, Great Southern youth said the environment (56 per cent) followed by equity and discrimination (34 per cent) and economy and financial matters (28 per cent). This was broadly consistent with responses from youth across the State, except that mental health ranked third among the larger cohort. Despite concerns about the future and struggles with mental health, 58 per cent of Great Southern youth said they were proud to be part of their community and about half agreed that the community provided them with what they needed for a “positive and thriving future”. However, just 35 per cent said they feel that young people have a say on issues that matter to them in the community. Mission Australia State director Sue Budalich said the findings reflected the complexities of life. “Young people are being exposed to a lot right now,” she said. “Climate change, the Voice Referendum and racism, rising cost of living and the housing and homelessness crisis, to name a few.” This is particularly the case for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth across the State who report lower wellbeing ratings and higher levels of discrimination than their non-Indigenous peers. “Young people want greater understanding from teachers and parents about their stress levels, accurate diagnosis and treatment, support from their family and friends and professional help,” Ms Budalich said. “I urge everyone reading this report to take these young voices and perspectives seriously, create space for all young people, including First Nations young people, to be genuinely included in decision-making processes, and act upon their ideas and recommendations.”