Your voice can help shape the future of mental health prevention for young Australians.
In recent years I’ve described my position here at Flinders as being ‘mental health promotion’.
In short, that means coordinating activities of varying types that help people learn more about how to look after their mental health.
One of the organisations that I belong to that helps me be a better mental health promotion practitioner is Prevention United.
In addition to supporting practitioners, they also conduct research and they have just launched a survey for 16-25 year olds.
I got my AI friend chatGPT to summarise some information about the survey. If you’d like your voice to be heard around how we support youth mental health, this is a good opportunity.
Tackling Youth Mental Health: Join Prevention United’s National Youth Survey
In recent years, the mental health landscape for young Australians has grown increasingly concerning. With challenges ranging from everyday school pressures to broader societal issues like climate change and housing crises, the rates of depression and anxiety among youth are escalating. Prevention United is stepping up to address these issues through its National Youth Survey, and they need your voice to make a difference.
What is Prevention United’s National Youth Survey?
The survey is a proactive initiative by Prevention United, an organization dedicated to not just treating but preventing mental health conditions. The goal is to understand the key stressors impacting Australian youth and gather opinions on potential solutions. Your insights will help shape the future of mental health prevention strategies and influence government policies.
Why Your Participation Matters
Instances of depression and anxiety among Australian youth today are growing at an alarming rate, fuelled by everyday challenges at school and navigating personal identities and sense of belonging, to more far-reaching issues such as climate change and the housing crisis. These pressures are taking a toll on many people’s mental health.
Prevention United believes that the Australian government needs to do more to support the prevention of mental health conditions since it’s so incredibly underfunded, with roughly 1-2% of the mental health budget dedicated to prevention rather than treatment. The survey aims to highlight solutions that can help young people long before their wellbeing takes a turn for the worse. By sharing your experiences and opinions, you are contributing to a broader conversation that could lead to significant changes in how youth mental health is addressed in Australia.
Key Information
Eligibility: This survey is intended for youth living in Australia. Only young people aged 16-25 years old and living in Australia are eligible. You will be asked for your age and the country you’re living in as part of a screening check at the start of the survey.
Survey Period: This survey will be open from 21 May to 16 July.
What’s in it for you?: As a thank you for your time and thoughts, participants can enter a draw to win one of five $50 Prezzee vouchers. These vouchers can be used across a range of brands, including supermarkets, major retailers, and tech stores. Your contact information will be stored separately from your survey responses to ensure anonymity. Winners will be contacted no more than 2 weeks after the survey closes. Please note, participants under the age of 18 are not permitted to use these vouchers to purchase alcohol.
What to Expect: The survey should take around 10-15 minutes to complete and is divided into four main sections:
- Demographics: Basic personal info such as age, education level, and state/territory you live in.
- Negative Impacts: Factors you think worsen your mental health.
- Positive Impacts: Factors you think improve your mental health.
- Solutions: Programs and policies you think could promote your mental wellbeing.
Privacy and Confidentiality: Responses to this survey will remain anonymous. However, please avoid including any identifying information such as school names, workplaces, or personal names. Some responses may be quoted in reports, but any information used will not identify who you are. This survey is entirely voluntary, and you can stop at any time by closing out of the survey before submitting your answers or skip any questions you prefer not to answer.
Support Services
If you feel uncomfortable about any of the survey questions or need mental health support after completing the survey, you can contact the following services:
- Counselling at Flinders – https://students.flinders.edu.au/support/hcd/counselling
- Lifeline: 13 11 14 (available 24/7) – www.lifeline.org.au
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (available 24/7) – www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support
- Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (available 24/7) – www.kidshelpline.com.au
- Headspace: 1800 650 890 (available 9am – 1am every day) – www.headspace.org.au
Get Involved Today
Your voice can help shape the future of mental health prevention for young Australians. To participate in the survey or for more information, contact the research team at youth@preventionunited.org.au.
By sharing your experiences, you’re not just speaking up for yourself but also for countless others who may be struggling in silence. Together, we can create a ripple effect that brings about meaningful change in the mental health landscape for Australian youth.
For more information, download the Participant Information Sheet.
Join the movement today – your voice matters!
