Authors: Brennan, N., Beames, J. R, Kos, A., Reily, N., Connell, C., Hall, S., Yip, D., Hudson, J., O’Dea, B., Di Nicola, K., and Christie, R.
Overview
The Mission Australia Youth Survey is the largest annual survey of young people of its kind in Australia, attracting thousands of respondents each year and providing valuable insights into the issues and concerns affecting young people. In 2020, Mission Australia conducted its 19th annual survey, receiving 25,800 responses from young people aged 15 to 19 years. The Youth Survey 2020 was conducted between April and August 2020, when much of the country was in a stage of government enforced lockdown, or just emerging from lockdown due to COVID-19.
One of the questions the Youth Survey has included since 2012 measures the levels of psychological distress experienced by young people. The purpose of this report is two-fold. First, we describe trends in distress levels over time from 2012 to 2020. Then, focusing on 2020 data, we shed light on the characteristics of young people living with psychological distress, explore the links between psychological distress and experiences in daily life, and identify barriers that might prevent them from seeking help when they need it.
This is the fifth national report on young people’s mental health produced by Mission Australia and the Black Dog Institute. This ongoing collaboration has brought many fresh insights into the youth mental health space — with implications for both policy and practice.
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