Teenagers reporting increased stress

The 2011 Mission Australia survey has found teenagers are stressing about school work, body image and coping with stress more than ever.

Teenagers are feeling the pressure to get good grades at school, particularly 15-19 year olds. The survey found that 41.8 are now listing school as their top priority, up from 28.7 last year. These concerns are probably coming from this generation watching people lose jobs due to the global financial crisis and anticipating the highly competetive job market they will be entering.

Teens, particularly girls, have reported increasing levels of concern with body image, this indicates that the messages about healthy liefstyles and realistic body images are not getting through. The quest to gain peer approval and to be popular seem to be over riding all attempts to make people aware of the dangers associated with the quest to be like "the girls on tv."

This age group also reported generally coping with stress as a stressor.

All in all these figures are concerning, the pressure youth are under and the pressure they put themselves under could lead to further mental health issues.

For more information, check out these articles from News.com and the Australian.

More help for young Australians

15 new Headspace centres have been announced to support young Australians with mental illness.

The mental health of young Australians is at the forefront with Prime Minister Julia Gillard's announcement of the locations for 15 new headspace centres Australia wide. Early intervention has been a focus, in an attempt to prevent mental health issues in youth becoming more serious and longer lasting. It has been suggested that eight out of ten illnesses affecting people aged 15 to 25 are associated with mental health. With such high figures, it becomes obvious how important helping people as early as possible is.

Headspace have also launched their free and confidential counselling service online and over the phone for young people aged 12 to 25. For more information about headspace and their services check out the headspace website.

Youth and Mental Health.

Mental health week last week seems to have sparked a call for extra funding for services related to young people's mental health.

Raising awareness and reducing the stigma associated with mental illness at the forefront, particularly among children and teenagers. This time in life can be very challenging, especially for those who may not have the support and services they need. Many do not want to be associated with mental illness and therefore do not seek help. Instead many turn the wrong way, to alcohol and drugs. Today the Canberra Times posted an article referring to the 'slippery slide' from pressures during childhood and adolescence to self harm, drug and alcohol abuse and even death. Too many youth are entering the system too late, presenting with acute mental illness or addiction, or slipping through the cracks entirely.

Two things are required: services to help and a reduction in the stigma associated with seeking help. Sunbury College is working to fight this stigma and come up with in school programs to better mental health. A local Weekly has reported the school's program with year nine students, in conjunction with Orygen Youth Health and the Sunbury Community Health Centre, to develop a mental health resource kit for young people. This program is hoped to be implemented into other schools.