Each of these areas bring challenges that require understanding the evidence, having respectful conversations and building a strong advocacy platform in order to bring about equity and improved health and wellbeing for many of our young people today. Youth participation in planning, programming and delivery is integral.
This Conference will motivate, educate and showcase research, innovative programs and practical resources via an extensive and comprehensive program including keynotes, proffered paper and poster sessions, workshops and networking.
As parents it is often difficult to know how to best support our kids when they are exposed to, hear about or experience traumatic events in the world, community or even their school. We know that feeling safe and secure is critical to positive mental health.
We all have a voice, and we can use that voice to speak out in the face of injustice, to show others they are not alone, to inspire action.
Together our voices are stronger. Together we can build a better world.
1. Coping with stress
43.1% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned.
2. School or study problems
33.8% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned.
3. Mental health awareness
30.9% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned.
4. Body image
30.4% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned.
5. Physical health
25.7% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned.
6. Personal safety
18.6% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned (teenagers can be preyed upon online)
7. Family conflict
17.6% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned.
8. Financial security
16.7% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned.
9. Suicide
16.0% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned.
10. Discrimination
11.1% of young people were extremely concerned or very concerned.
Youth Security Blog is proudly supported by Serious Security CCTV Melbourne
Young people were asked to rate how happy they were with their life as a whole on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 indicates feeling very sad, 5 indicates not happy or sad and 10 indicates that they felt very happy.
Robust findings from several large longitudinal studies in the UK (The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity survey) and in Australia (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, Mission Australia Youth Survey, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) are showing that mental health problems like anxiety disorders and depression are on the rise among young people. This increase is even more marked among young women; women (aged 16-24) are two to three times as likely to suffer from psychological distress and disorders as men of the same age.
Many young people are happy to see their family GP, but others might like to see different doctors. It’s worthwhile finding a GP who has a special interest in adolescence and one your child feels comfortable with. Some GPs have also done additional training in mental health.
Some mental health problems severely affect daily life or are particularly hard to treat. These problems include severe mood disturbance, significant anxiety and psychotic disorder. If your child has one of these problems, your child might see a child and adolescent psychiatrist.