Annalise Jones: Coffs Harbour, North NSW youth mental health services needing a boost

These are the statistics that show how young people in Australia rate their mental health over the past 12 months, and it is a cause for concern. See how one student is battling it.

Annalise Jones from Boambee Valley has battled mental health for five years, including depression, anxiety and borderline personality disorder.

“It's become part of my life,” Annalise said.

When Covid hit – as she entered Year 11 – she lost all access to face-to-face health care.

Annalise Jones was locked out of accessing face-to-face mental health services when the pandemic hit. Picture: supplied.

“I relied on the routine of seeing friends, counsellors and support from teachers at school,” she said.

Her struggles were amplified when Headspace closed and her battle had to be fought online.

“Telehealth was a difficult transition – at first it felt impersonal,” she said.

Now the 17-year old can see that Australia’s youth mental health services are in need of a revamp, and the statistics show why.

One-in-three young people in Australia aged between 16 and 24 rated their mental health over the past 12 months as “terrible or poor”, according to Medibank.

Medibank chief medical officer Dr Linda Swan said it was an “alarming figure”.

“Many young people may be struggling more than we realise and may not be speaking up,” Dr Swan said.

More than 50 per cent of young people have felt depressed in the past year, with only 30 per cent of parents believing their children felt that way, Medibank reported.

Dr Swan said parents may be underestimating the psychological impact Covid had on youth.

“I encourage parents to think about their children’s view of the impact Covid and floods has had on their lives and openly talk with their children about their experience,” she said.

Poor mental health is having a negative impact as children lose confidence and may turn to crime.

Before Covid-19, one in four people on the North Coast, from Port Macquarie to Tweed, experienced ‘mental and behavioural conditions’ which was a higher average than all of NSW according to the state’s Mental Health Commission.

Annalise Jones has battled mental health head-on and has come out the other end smiling.

Annalise’s family business also suffered from the flooding – losing stock and having to cancel deliveries but said social media has a big impact on young people’s mental health.

“It felt tense,” she said.

“Being on social media as a young person can influence the way you view yourself, which can have a negative impact on mental health,” she said.

Annalise realised it was having a detrimental effect on her life when people she ‘followed’ and saw as “pretty” on social media consumed her.

“I wanted to change my image,” she said.

“I would photoshop images and became ashamed of how I looked,” she said.

Annalise’s mother had to drive hours with her daughter just to access support services.

Annalise was only deemed “urgent” after battling with suicidal thoughts and self-harm.

She said her mother had to drive her two to three hours to get to mental health support.

“It was a drain on my mum driving that far,” she said.

According to the NSW State Health Commission, in the last five years females aged 15 to 24 were “four times as likely to be hospitalised for self harm”.

Annalise said today’s mental healthcare systems are desperately needed and is grateful for all the support she has received.

“In the past I’ve called Lifeline and waited for hours – it needed to be improved,” she said.

Now, after a year of positive change, she thanks the support she was able to access and believes it has contributed to her growth.

“I decided enough is enough – I’m going to help myself!”

“I'm ready to grow as a person, close that chapter and evolve.”

With a bright future, she hopes to pursue a career in fashion after her HSC.

If you or anyone you know is struggling please ring Lifeline on 13 11 14.