Major new research by Mission Australia reveals rising numbers of NSW’s young people are reporting concerns about alcohol and drugs, discrimination and mental health pointing to the need for a more targeted and co-ordinated approach to ensure youth support services are accessible in NSW and across the nation.

Over a quarter of NSW’s 7,087 respondents ranked alcohol and drugs as the top issue facing Australia (28.2%) followed closely by equity and discrimination (27.9%) and  mental health (22.6%).

The biggest survey of its kind, nationally the Mission Australia Youth Survey 2016 showed that for the record number of 22,000 15 to 19 year olds who took part, alcohol and drugs and equity and discrimination were the top two issues facing Australia today, with mental health entering the top three for the first time in the 15 year history of reporting. Concerns about mental health have doubled since 2011.

Consistent with the national results, the top three issues of personal concern for NSW’s young people were coping with stress, school or study problems and body image.

Ben Carblis, State Director Mission Australia said he was particularly worried that young people in NSW highlighted mental health as a major concern facing the nation.  

“Our Youth Survey is an important platform that allows young people to voice their concerns and aspirations for the future so we can feed them into policy decisions about their futures. While we are seeing that NSW’s young people are highlighting mental health as a concern for Australia, we also see mental health concerns reflected for local young people on a personal level with stress, school and study problems and body image as the top three issues. 

“These results point to the need for a more coordinated, comprehensive and cohesive national and localised plan so that we can ensure we are delivering the right programs to the young people who need them most. 

“We must also really question how early are starting to provide mental health services.  Some Mission Australia staff report seeing children as young as eight with suicidal thoughts and there is often limited access to the necessary supports, particularly in regional and rural areas.

“While we know there are some effective educational awareness programs in schools, we must ensure young people are able to access and navigate the appropriate supports, advice and information to help them in times of need.”

Troublingly, the report also shows that nationally, one in seven females reported experiencing gender discrimination which is more than three times the proportion of males. One in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people reported experiencing discrimination on the basis of race or cultural background, more than three times the proportion of non-Indigenous young people.

Over one quarter of young people indicated that they had experienced some form of unfair treatment or discrimination in the last twelve months. The main reasons NSW’s young people cited for their experience of discrimination were gender (36.5%), race/cultural background (32.8%) and physical health or ability (20.6%).

Half the young people surveyed had witnessed someone else being unfairly treated or discriminated against in the last twelve months. The discrimination NSW young people witnessed was most commonly on the basis of race/cultural background (59.5%), sexuality (38.3%) and physical health or ability (36%).

Mr Carblis said further reflection and action is needed to address the numbers of young people both experiencing and witnessing discrimination. 

“There are unacceptable numbers of young people experiencing and witnessing discrimination and we must do more to change these results. Political and social leaders need to take the reins to challenge omnipresent discrimination. As a society, we must step up and challenge stereotypes and address discrimination when we see it. By engaging governments, businesses, sports and other institutions, the media and schools, we can collectively change these results. 

“Commonwealth, state and local governments all have important roles to play in facilitating successful youth transitions and addressing these issues so young people have a firm foundation to transition from childhood to adulthood and achieve their future aspirations,” Mr Carblis added.