Ian Thorpe urges young Aussies to seek mental health help

SWIMMING great Ian Thorpe admits to having tough times in his ongoing battle with depression as he urges young Australians to seek help for their own struggles.

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SWIMMING great Ian Thorpe has spoken of his ongoing battle with depression as he urged young Australians to seek help for their own struggles.

The Olympic gold medallist admitted to still having “a couple of tough times” every year after speaking publicly about his mental health issues.

Ian Thorpe. Picture: Supplied

But the patron for youth site ReachOut — which today launches a new mobile-first platform to help a further one million young Aussies — said after he spoke out, others close to him shared their own difficulties.

“This is beyond a statistic,” the 34-year-old said.

“In my group of friends I never knew this many people (struggled).”

The sporting legend continues to work on his mental health every day, including 15 minutes of meditation each morning.

With mental health firmly in the spotlight after many high-profile AFL stars took time out to focus on their wellbeing recently, Thorpe said he supported any athlete who felt they could speak publicly in a bid to help others.

But, he said anyone that chose to share their story must feel ready to do so.

“I think we will get to a point where we do discuss these things more openly,” he said.

“I think we’ve made some huge strides.”

Ian Thorpe as the host of ABC TV show ‘Bullied’ earlier this year. Picture: Supplied

Thorpe today welcomed the new ReachOut website, a one-stop-shop with tools, tips and support to help young people deal with everyday issues and difficult times.

”Having some of those resources would have been beneficial to me,” Thorpe said.

With one in four young Australians experiencing a mental health issue — and two thirds of those not getting the help they need — ReachOut chief executive Jono Nicholas called on anyone struggling to check out the site.

“The most common concern among young people is coping with stress, but there are many other things that ReachOut can help with,” he said.

For 24/7 help, go to ReachOut.com or for crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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