Tackling stigma and sharing messages of hope as Covid-19 is set to have a lasting impact on the mental health of youth.
In its fourth year, Youth Insearch’s End Youth Suicide Week campaign from 14-18 FEBRUARY 2022 is encouraging Australians to defy the stigma associated with mental health and start open conversations about suicide among friends, families and communities, to spread hope and save lives.
Half of mental health disorders first emerge by the age of 14, and 75 per cent by the age of 24, with suicide remaining the biggest killer of Australians aged between 15-24 years.
Youth Insearch is Australia’s most effective peer-led youth trauma recovery organisation working to change these statistics.
Of the people Youth Insearch support, 2 out of 3 had planned to die by suicide in the past and half of those had attempted suicide. Within 90 days on the program, each young person will reduce their suicide risk from high-risk to low-risk.
The social and economic impacts of Covid-19 have further exacerbated the state of youth mental health in Australia. The Australia Talks 2021 survey found 52 percent of 18-24 year olds said their mental health had worsened since the start of the pandemic and, according to the 2021 Mission Australia annual youth survey, the pandemic was listed as the top concern by young people (45.7%), with half indicating that it has negatively impacted their mental health.
‘’Young people have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many have experienced profound disengagement and isolation, and some have been forced to ‘lock down’ in environments and households where there is family violence and/or abuse. During this time, Youth Insearch has performed a key role in facilitating vital peer to peer engagement and connection through virtual support groups and workshops,’’ Says Leanne Hall, Clinical Lead at Youth Insearch.
Crucially, suicidality is disportionately groups across Australia. Members of the LGBTIQA+ community have the highest rate of suicidaity of any group, rural populations are two times more likely to die by suicide and almost one in four young people dying by suicide in Australia are Indigenous, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.
Since 1985, Youth Insearch has helped nearly 32,000 at-risk youth rebuild their lives, including thousands at risk of suicide. The Youth Insearch peer-to-peer program equips participants with skills and opportunities to develop their self-esteem, take control of their lives, and play a contributing role in society.
End Youth Suicide Week will see politicians wearing blue heart pins in Parliament to raise awareness for the campaign. The effort is being led by Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Hon David Coleman MP, who participating in the End Youth Suicide Week virtual event on Tuesday 15 February to discuss the importance of addressing the problems facing young people.
To support the campaign, Youth Insearch has enlisted musician G Flip, actor Jacob Elordi, model Alyssa Vella, pro surfer Pacha Luque-Light, NRL player Michael Morgan and many other Australian celebrities to share social media posts about the campaign in a move designed to connect directly with young people and their support network.