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What worries young Australians? Results from Mission Australia’s annual survey

Australia’s largest annual survey of young people has revealed drugs, suicide and body image are the biggest concerns for 11 to 24-year-olds. The Mission Australia survey was taken by 48,000 young people this year, the biggest group since the survey began in 2002.

When asked to rank their level of concern about 15 issues, one in four young people (26.8 per cent) said drugs, closely followed by suicide (at 26.3 per cent) and body image (at 25.5 per cent).

What do young people think about mental health?

Young adults (aged 20 to 24) continue to be the group most concerned about mental health issues, as per previous surveys. The top two issues for young adults were depression and coping with stress, with about 30 per cent identifying each as an area of major concern.

By comparison, 16 per cent of 11 to 14-year-olds were concerned about these issues and 21 per cent of 15 to 19-year-olds.

Issues that rated highly, regardless of age or gender included:

  • suicide
  • family conflict
  • personal safety
  • bullying/emotional abuse.

One-third of respondents (31 per cent) said they valued their physical and mental health highly.

When it comes to talking about personal problems, most young people speak to their friends (85 per cent), parents (73 per cent) and relatives (60 per cent). This hasn’t changed over time, with the result very similar to the 2002 survey.

Almost a quarter (22.5%) of respondents identified the internet as an important source of advice and support.

Concerns about body image are improving

The 15 to 19-year-old age group are most troubled about body image, with just over a quarter (27.4 per cent) indicating it is a major concern.

Mission Australia’s survey highlights that the issue of body image is more a worry related to the unrealistic portrayal of ‘the perfect body’ in the media.

Mission Australia’s spokesperson, Anne Hampshire, said many agencies were working to address this issue.

“Over the last few years we’ve seen governments, welfare groups and youth agencies tackle the issue of body image in a much more concerted fashion and from this year’s survey results we think it’s beginning to have an impact,” said Ms Hampshire.

“In 2007, just over 32 per cent of participants had body image top of mind compared to 25.5 per cent this year.

“We hope that efforts in this area - such as the recent launch of the Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image by the Australian fashion industry - will bring that concern down further in the years to come.”

Drugs

Drugs were the number one concern for the 11 to 14-year-old age group, with 31 per cent including it in their top three, almost twice the proportion of 20 to 24-year-olds.

These findings indicate that drug education is having an impact on the younger age group, however, more work needs to be done in this area.

Ms Hampshire said: “This group not only have a significant level of personal concern about the issue but are also worried about the impact of drugs on friends, families and their community. This concern doesn’t equate to drug usage - only around 5 per cent of 11-14 year olds use drugs.

“What it does show is that while campaigns have raised anxiety among our teens about the dangers of drugs, they haven’t done enough to educate 11-14 year olds on how to handle peer pressure about the issue.”

beyondblue’s response to the survey

CEO of beyondblue, Leonie Young, congratulated Mission Australia on their survey analysis. She said the report highlights the importance of encouraging young people to reach out to their peers, family and trusted adults to discuss their worries.

“We know that three-quarters of mental health problems experienced by adults develop in young adulthood, between the ages of 15 to 25. It is vitally important that young people have an understanding of the issues and speak up when they are troubled,” she said.

“It is understandable that most young people do trust their friends and parents with their personal problems, however, we know that there are still young people out there who feel they can’t open up to anyone. beyondblue has invested in the mental health of young people - through programs, campaigns and initiatives - by getting the message out that it’s OK to ask for help.

“While it is worrying that young people are concerned about suicide, depression and stress, it also means they are thinking about these issues. The youth mental health sector is taking steps to ensure that young people have access to the right information and available services if they are experiencing a tough time.

“Our new Youthbeyondblue fact sheets cover many issues, including drugs, body image and cyber bullying. We encourage all young people, their parents and carers to access this information. With youth services like headspace, ORYGEN, Kids Helpline and Youthbeyondblue, help is available online wherever people live.”

In May this year, beyondblue launched a national awareness campaign aimed at people aged 12 to 25.

The rebranded website www.youthbeyondblue.com is a perfect starting point for anyone looking for information and advice about the problems young people commonly encounter.

Or people can call the information line on 1300 22 4636.

Young people who need immediate help should call:

  • Lifeline - 13 11 14 (cost of a local call; 24 hours)
  • Kids Help Line - 1800 55 1800 (free call from a land line; 24 hours)
  • Emergency - Triple zero - 000

Download the full Mission Australia National Survey of Young Australians 2009 report here: http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/document-downloads/cat_view/132-annual-mission-australia-youth-survey.

Resources

Browse the full list of Youthbeyondblue fact sheets.

Websites