Almost 80 Percent Of Parents Concerned About Their Youngster’s Mental Health

Results from headspace’s inaugural National Family Mental Health Survey released on Wednesday, October 9 have revealed that almost 80 percent of family members were concerned about their young person’s mental wellbeing.

The survey was conducted with 2,059 family members, including parents, carers, siblings, elders, close friends and stepfamily, who care for a young person aged between 12 and 25.

These results also showed that family members were acting on their concerns for their young people, with almost half of those surveyed discussing mental health and wellbeing with their young person at least weekly.

CEO of headspace Jason Trethowan said the survey highlights the size of the challenge facing families who are doing their best to respond to their young people’s mental health needs.

“It’s not surprising that families are worried about their young people’s mental health, given some of the challenges we’re facing right now, including school refusal, cost of living pressures and impacts from extreme climate events.

“Just last month a landmark research paper in the Lancet, penned by 50 world-leading experts on youth mental health, recognised the unprecedented demand for youth mental health services,” Mr Trethowan said.

“The same paper called out headspace as a world-leading model of care that can adapt to the changing needs of young people, and an organisation that centres family in a young person’s help-seeking journey.

“What this research shows is that families are paying attention to the young people in their lives and that they understand that it has never been more difficult to navigate adolescence and early adulthood.

“Many young people are having a tough time, and it is very normal for their loved ones to be concerned for them.

“Family members are the first group that young people will reach out to when they need support, so it’s important they stay engaged with their young person’s mental health and wellbeing by being aware of any changes in their behaviour, such as disengaging from social activities, difficulty focusing, or changes in sleep habits.

“While these can be early signs of stress, they can present opportunities to check in, provide support and create a safe environment that encourages open communication and seeking help when needed.

“It’s important to remember that there’s no expectation for you to be an expert and it’s okay to get things wrong.

“Just being there for your young person and showing that you care for them unconditionally is a good start.

“There’s also still a portion of family members who don’t feel confident reaching out for support, perhaps due to stigma or because they don’t know what is available.

“This headspace Day, we want to put a spotlight on the services that help family members to feel more confident when supporting their young person’s mental health journey.”

To help build the skills needed to seek professional support, headspace encourages family members to:

Start conversations early - approach your young person with openness and empathy, creating a safe space to talk.

Use available resources - familiarise yourself with online tools and support services provided by headspace.

Seek professional help when needed - don’t hesitate to reach out to mental health professionals (such as headspace) if you're unsure how to proceed.

All connections are good connections - if your young person doesn’t feel in a place to share with you how they’re coping, then it’s okay for them to talk to another supportive adult in their lives. The most important thing is that they feel connected and supported.

Practice self-care - supporting a young person’s mental health is challenging. Take time to care for your own mental wellbeing as well.

Any parent, carer, young person or family member in need of support to visit their local headspace centre.

Support is also available via phone and online counselling service eheadspace seven days a week between 9 am and 1 am (AEST).

The number is 1800 650 890.

If you feel you need to speak to someone immediately, Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 551 800), and 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) are available to talk 24/7.

• Topics:

• Mental Health and Wellbeing