Never been a better time to focus on youth well-being and mental health prevention

There has never been a better time to focus on youth well-being and mental health prevention and awareness programs for Australia’s adolescent population. The costs of mental health-related services to the general population have reached a whopping eleven billion annually in federal government health expenditure (ABS, 2022). Adolescent mental health is a concern. More than two in ten children aged between twelve and seventeen suffer from severe mental disorders (AIHW, 2021). This is alarming. Indeed, recent epidemiology research reports show that around half of the adolescent population worldwide have mental health symptoms starting before the age of fourteen, with strong evidence that mental illness in adolescents will, unfortunately, continue into their adult lifespan (AIHW, 2022; WHO, 2021; Finch et al., 2020). In Australia, our youth account for one-quarter of emergency department presentations for mental health-related care (AIHW, 2021). Australian schools play a significant role in supporting mental health in the adolescent demographic; however, reports from longitudinal studies find that one in four children aged eight to ten, and seven in ten children aged twelve to thirteen, suffer physical, social, or emotional pain in their learning environment (AIHW, 2022; Finch et al., 2020). Evidence-based research and programs are looking toward interventions that provide solutions to the growing problem of youth well-being. Watch this space.