Australia’s young people are a “generation burnt out and in need of help”, according to new research by Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
Nine out of 10 survey respondents aged 14 to 24 said their health had deteriorated in the past year, with 59 per cent of those feeling “tired for no reason” or that “everything was an effort”.
The survey of 1,424 young people conducted by the state’s prevention agency, Health and Wellbeing Queensland, found more than half of respondents reported feeling stressed or anxious.
“One of the most dramatic indicators is the instances of hospitalisation due to self-harm in young children aged 10 to 14 has almost [tripled] over the last decade.”
Dr Gerrard said the mental health decline in young people had been seen on a global scale since 2010, in the years following the release of the first smartphone.
He said there were no simple solutions, adding the community at-large has not spoken about “this enough”.
“Almost one in two Queenslanders will experience mental ill-health in their lifetime … about 75 per cent of mental disorders emerge before the age of 24 years, so we need to act now.”
The research found those experiencing mental health challenges were more likely to rate their health significantly lower.
